In her final days, Achala Sachdev looked unrecognisable, and after struggling in hospital for three months, she passed away.
Bollywood is blessed with some iconic actors who have immortalised themselves with their characters and performances. Some artistes were boxed with a specific character, but still, they earned respect and lifetime fame with their honest interpretations. Here's a veteran artiste who has done more than 250 films in her illustrious career, and became Bollywood's famous mother and grandmother, Achala Sacdev. Born on May 3, 1920, in Peshawar, Achala hailed from a Punjabi family. He was the youngest of the four sisters. At a very young age, Achala and her sisters suffered a huge loss from their father's demise.
When Achala became a radio announcer for the family
To support the family, Achala started working at an early age, and she joined All India Radio (AIR) Lahore as a radio announcer. After the partition, Achala's family migrated from Peshawar to Delhi. After settling in Delhi, Achala resumed her job at AIR Delhi. During her AIR days, Achala used to interview film personalities, and she even made a few blink-and-miss appearances in films.
Achala's first major break in films
In 1950, Achala got a chance to play Dev Anand's sister in Dilruba, and the film's success paved the path for Achala. After Dilruba's success, Achala became Bollywood's favourite choice for playing on-screen mother and sister. Apart from Dilruba, Achala's performance in Sangam, Footpath, Dil Ek Mandir, and Miss Mary was widely appreciated.
The breakthrough of Achala Sachdev
In 1965, filmmaker BR Chopra gave a breakthrough role to Achala Sachdev in Waqt. The ensemble family drama became a blockbuster, and the song, dedicated to her character, Ae Mere Zohra Jabeen is still regarded among classic chartbusters. After Waqt, Achala went on to star in the biggest blockbusters, and she shared screen space with almost every Bollywood superstar. Achala had an illustrious seven-decade-long career. Achala's last film was Karan Johar's family drama Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham (2001), in which she played Shah Rukh Khan and Hrithik's grandmother.
The personal loss that affected Achala Sachdev
Achala Sachdev got married twice. Her first husband Gyan Sachdev was a director, and they have a son, Jothin Sachdev. A few years after their marriage, Achala and Gyan parted ways, and their son Jotin moved to the US. After Gyan, Achala got married to Clifford Douglas Peters. After marrying Clifford, she moved to Pune. Sadly, Peters passed away, and it left Achala abandoned.
Achala Sachdev died a lonely death
Since Peters' demise, Achala was left all alone in Pune. She struggled to manage daily chores. In September 2011, Achala slipped and fell in her kitchen. She sustained a fracture in her leg. After that, she was diagnosed with multiple embolisms in her brain. This resulted in total paralysis and the loss of vision. In her final days, Achala looked unrecognisable, and after struggling in hospital for 3 months, she passed away on April 30, 2012.
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