Regarded as one of Hindi cinema's most accomplished actresses, she has worked in more than 90 feature films, in a career spanning over five decades.

She rose to prominence by her collaborations with Hindi filmmaker Guru Dutt in the dramas Pyaasa (1957), Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959), Chaudhvin Ka Chand (1960), and Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962).

She received widespread critical acclaim for the romantic drama Guide (1965), for which she won her first Filmfare Award for Best Actress.

She won the award again for her performance in the romantic thriller Neel Kamal (1968), and additionally earned nominations for her roles in the comedy Ram Aur Shyam (1967) and the drama Khamoshi (1969).

For portraying a clanswoman in the crime drama Reshma Aur Shera (1971), she won the National Film Award for Best Actress.

Following a hiatus, she has worked intermittently, appearing in the social dramas Water (2005), Rang De Basanti (2006) and Delhi 6 (2009).

[1] Waheeda Rehman was born on 3 February 1938 [2][3][4] to a Deccani Muslim family in Chengalpet of present-day Tamil Nadu, India.

[7][8] Rehman's dream was to become a doctor, but due to her family's circumstances emotionally and financially, alongside her mother's illness, she abandoned her goal.

[12] In the mid-1950s, she established a working relationship with Dev Anand wherein they had a number of successful films to their credit which include Solva Saal (1958).

Suresh Kohli of The Hindu writes on her performance in Solva Saal; "Though barely 20 then and only in her fourth Hindi release, Rehman demonstrates her class: both in serious scenes demanding intensity and through sparkling, mischievous eye movements during lighter moments.

Because of the trend set of the then popular actresses such as Madhubala, Nargis and Meena Kumari, Waheeda was asked to use a stage name, reasoning that her name should be "something sexy", which she refused and continued with her birth name.

[26][27] As a leading lady, she was cast opposite many familiar faces of Hindi Cinema; notably, this includes Sunil Dutt in Mujhe Jeene Do (1962), Nirupa Roy in Kaun Apna Kaun Paraya (1963) and Biswajit in the horror film Kohraa (1964), the drama Majboor (1964), and the psychological-thriller Bees Saal Baad (1962)—the latter becoming the highest-grossing Hindi film of 1962.

[29] Vijay Anand's magnum opus, the romantic drama Guide (1965) was an adaptation of the same book written by R. K. Narayan, published in 1958.

[31] Guide was a major commercial success, emerging as the fifth-highest grossing Hindi film of 1965, and it opened to widespread critical acclaim, with Rehman's performance receiving universal praise.

Trisha Gupta of Hindustan Times writing, "Rosie was triply unusual: a woman who walks out of an unhappy marriage, begins a romantic relationship with a man who isn't her husband, and simultaneously embarks on a successful career as a dancer.

Film expert Rajesh Subramanian reported that Manmohan Desai had approached Rehman, on behalf of Shammi Kapoor, during the making of Naseeb.

[6] However, after having shot a few scenes, she dropped out of the film due to her husband's death in November 2000; subsequently, her role was then played by Achala Sachdev.

[39] In recent years, she has played motherly roles in Om Jai Jagadish (2002), Water (2005), 15 Park Avenue (2005), Rang De Basanti (2006) and Delhi 6 (2009), all of which earned her critical acclaim.

"[56] Sharla Bazliel of India Today noted, "Her name means "the unique one" and few actors have had a career, and life, quite like Waheeda Rehman.

"[58] Dinesh Raheja of Rediff.com noted, "Rehman's simple beauty and refreshingly natural style of acting gave her an edge over the carefully-lacquered bouffant brigade of the 1960s.