Meet actress, whose career got ruined due to a superstar, was Hema Malini, Zeenat Aman’s lucky charm, her name is…, Nargis, Sanjay Dutt were her…

Zaheeda Hussain, widely known by her screen name Zaheeda, is a retried Hindi film actress, who had a short career in films as following her marriage she bid adieu to the industry. She would definitely come to the mind of cinema enthusiasts whenever they hear the song ‘Churi Nahin Ye Mera Dil Hai…’. Even now, fans recall her captivating screen presence and adorable charm.

Daughter of Akhtar Hussain, Zaheeda was related to Veteran actress Nargis, as they shared a family connection through Nargis’s mother, Jaddanbai. Jaddanbai was married thrice. She first tied the knot with Narottam Das Khatri, who converted to Islam and changed his name to Bachhubhai. Her second marriage was with Irshad Meer Khan, and had two children- a son Akhtar Hussain and a daughter Zahida. Jaddanbai’s third marriage was with Mohanchand Uttamchand Tyagi, who was father of Nargis. Consequently, Sanjay Dutt is brother to Zaheeda’s daughter, Akhtar Hussain.

Coming from a filmy background, Zaheeda tried to carved her own place in the industry. Dev Anand played a pivotal role in launching her filmy career. He offered her first role as a lead actress in Anokhi Raat (1970), followed by another film Prem Pujari, where she shared screen-space with the superstar himself. After two successful films, Zaheeda again had the opportunity to work with Dev Anand in the blockbuster Hare Rama Hare Krishna. However, she turned down the role, as she was offered to play Dev Anand’s sister. She was reportedly in love with him, and aspired to play romantic lead alongside him. Later on, Zeenat Aman took on the part, and captivated the audience with her impeccable portrayal in the film.

In 1971, the actress was offered lead role in Sushil Majumdar’s Lal Patthar. However, due to some inconvenience, she had to let go of that role, and later Hema Malini portrayed the part. Zaheeda’s career went downhill after she rejected superhits films that later went on to Hema Malini and Zeenat Aman.

After facing a setback in her career, Zaheeda Hussain moved to a different path and married businessman Kesri Nandan Sahay. The couple had two sons- Nilesh Sahay and Brajesh. Following her marriage, Zaheeda quit the film industry, focusing on her marital life and embracing the role of a homemaker.

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