Old timers remember Sheila Ramani as the girl grooving in an off-shoulder dress on “Dilse milake dil pyaar keejiye (Taxi Driver). For many, that was too hot to handle in that era, but the grace and poise that she displayed in the western outfit were unmatched.
Meet “Sheila Ramani,” the bold and beautiful actress of the 1950s and 1960s, who appeared in films like “Anand Math,” “Taxi Driver,” “Teen Batti Char Raasta,” “Naukri,” “Railway Platform,” “Funtoosh,” “Anokhi,” and the first Sindhi film, “Abana.”
Early Life and Career
Sheila Ramani was born as Sheila Kewalramani on March 2, 1932, in Karachi, Sindh, which is now part of Pakistan. Sheila started participating in beauty pageants while she was in school and went on to win the titles of Miss Mussoorie in 1948 and Miss Shimla in 1950. She was one of the few Sindhi actresses to join the Indian film industry.
Her debut came with Hemen Gupta’s 1952 film “Anand Math,” starring Prithviraj Kapoor, Bharat Bhushan, Pradeep Kumar, Geeta Bali, and Ajit. Her next film was V. Shnataram’s “Teen Batti Char Raasta (1953),” where she palyed a Sindhi girl, married into a multicultural household. She gain worked with V. Shantaram in Surang (1953) alongside Shashikala, Vinod Kumar, Vikas, Chandrashekhar
Breakthrough
Sheila Ramani’s career took off when she was introduced to the film industry by the renowned filmmaker Chetan Anand. Her most notable role as “Sylvie,” the seductress, came in the 1954 movie “Taxi Driver,” where she starred alongside Dev Anand. This film was a major success and is still remembered for its beautiful music by S. D. Burman. She was known for her glamorous and modern image, often playing upper-class and sophisticated characters.
The same year she starred in Ravindra Dave’s suspense thriller Meenar. In the film she starred alongside Bharat Bhushan, Bina Rai and Chandrashekhar.
She then starred in Bimal Roy‘s Naukri (1954), which addresses unemployment in post-independence India. Ramani stars as Seema, a college girl who falls for Ratan (Kishore Kumar). The plot tracks Ratan’s job struggles, with Seema’s father opposing their romance. The film is remembered for its comic dipiction of the problems of Ratan.
The Bold and Versatile
Ramani plays Princess Indira opposite Sunil Dutt and Nalini Jaywant in Ramesh Saigal’s Railway Platform (1955). The plot involves a love triangle at a railway station. Her role as a regal figure contrasts with her usual mod girl image. The film marked Sunil Dutt’s debut and performed decently.
Directed by Chetan Anand, Funtoosh is a comedy-drama starring Ramani and Dev Anand. The story follows a man from a mental asylum (Dev Anand) and how he fall in love and find a purpose to live. Her character brings a light-hearted charm, with duets like “Aji Aaj Koi Na Hamen Chedo,” and “Woh dekhen to unki inayat.” She also worked with Chetan Anand in “Joru Ka Bhai (1955),” with Vijay Anand, Balraj Sahni and Kum Kum. In 1957, Chetan Anand cast her in “Arpan (1957)” which stars Chetan himself with Nimmi, Kumkum and Mehmood. The same year they worked in “Anjali (1957).”
Namit Das On Screen
Sheila Ramani worked in the Pakistani Urdu movie “Anokhi (1956),” produced by her uncle Sheikh Latif urf Seth Lacchoo. One of its songs, “Gari Ko ChalaNa Babu, Halke Halke Halke, Kaheen Dil Ka Jaam Na Chalkay,” became a rage in those days.
She also acted in a Pakistani film, Abana (1958), which was the first Sindhi film ever made. It was also the debut of future superstar Sadhna, who had a brief role as the sister of Sheila Ramani.
Few of her notable films are “Ghamand (1955),” “Joru Ka Bhai (1955),” “Gulam Begum Badshah (1956),” “Guru Ghantal (1956),” “Sultana Daku (1956)”, “Arpan (1957),” Mumtaz Mahal (1957),” “Jungle King (1959),” “The Return of Mr. Superman (1960),” “Maa Beta (1962),” & “Awara Ladki (1967).”
Personal Life
Sheila Ramani married Jall Cowasji, a prominent industrialist, and moved to the United States. She also lived in Khartoum and Sri Lanka for many years. After her husband’s death in 1984, she moved to Australia and remained there until the 2000s.
She later returned to India when her health deteriorated and settled in Mhow, a small town in Madhya Pradesh. Sheila Ramani suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and passed away on July 15, 2015. She was survived by her two sons, Rahul and Zal.
Sheila Ramani on IMDB
