Bollywood’s quintessential on-screen mother Achala Sachdev, bed-ridden for the last six months, passed away in a hospital here, her physician said on Monday. She was 91. “Achala Sachdev expired yesterday (Sunday) at 5.30 pm at the Poona Hospital and Research Centre. We immediately informed her son who is in the US. He will be reaching Pune tomorrow,” Vinod Shah, who was treating the actress, said.
“Achala Sachdev had broken her left leg after a fall in her house six months ago. She also suffered a brain infarction in which she lost her vision and movements of upper and lower limbs,” added Shah. Her funeral will take place on Tuesday evening at Vaikunth here after her son Jyotin arrives from the US. The actress, known for her role in 1965 film Waqt, where she was part of the legendary song Ae meri zohra jabeen, underwent surgery 15 days ago and since then was being fed liquids.
“She underwent a surgery 15 days ago. We had put a feeding tube into her stomach so that she could be given liquid feeds and proteins directly,” said Shah. Achala Sachdev’s last important release was Karan Johar’s 2001 mega hit Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, in which she played Amitabh Bachchan’s screen mother. The actress, who had acted in over 250 films, has donated her fortune to various organisations. “She has donated all her money to various organisations. She donated `20 lakh and gifted her sprawling 2 BHK apartment in Pune Camp to Janaseva Foundation,” said the doctor. She has been part of the industry for more than seven decades. Achala Sachdev made her film debut with the 1938 movie Fashionable Wife and acted in over 250 Hindi films, including Nine Hours to Rama, The Householder, Bandhan, Meri Surat Teri Aankhen, Kora Kagaz, Haqeeqat, Mera Naam Joker, Julie and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.