Padma Khanna: An Indian Actress Who Contributed Across Various Industries

Born in Varanasi, Padma Khanna’s real name was Madhu. Once, she confided to her widow mother that she wants to learn dance. Instead of opposing what was going in her mind, her mother took her to Pandit Krishan Maharaj (brother of Sitara Devi and Uncle of Birju Maharaj) who hesitantly agreed to teach her dance as Padma was a plump child and looked like a non-serious learner. But eventually Padma turned out to be a brilliant student. Thereafter, she started doing stage shows and finally got noticed by star actress like Vyanjayanthimala, who suggested her to get into films.

While Padma was still living in Varanasi, she got an offer of Bhojpuri film, ‘Ganga Maiya Tohe Piyari Chadhaibo’. It was the first ever Bhojpuri film. She had a supporting role in the film, followed by few Hindi film offers, in which she was credited as Padma Devi. It was a striptease cabaret number in ‘Johny Mera Naam’ which gave her career a much-needed boost. “Husn Ke Lakhon Rang, Kaun Sa Rang Dekhoge..Aag hai Yeh badan Kaun sa Ang Dekhoge”, lyrically and visually quite a controversial song also played an important role in the success of the film as bringing in repeat value.

Padma was flooded with many such numbers, and she refused all, but she remained in demand with more sidekick acting and dancing roles. Yash Chopra managed to bring in top stars like Sharmila Tagore, Rajesh Khanna and Rakhi Gulzar and other cast of Daag to an outdoor shoot, but he had hard time getting dates of Padma for a Punjabi dance number, ‘Ni main yaar Manana Ni’, the song much different from her ‘Johny Mera Naam’ song image.

Though Padma reached at outdoor shoot in Shimla, but another dancer-actress Laxmi Chaya could not report to the shoot. It was a duet female number. Padma suggested to the choreographer that her dance assistant (Aruna) can play the part of another girl. The whole unit was surprised that Padma had no issues sharing a screen space with a random new girl for a dance number.

In a similar incident, she happily accepted to become the body double of ailing Meena Kumari in one of the songs of Pakeezah. When asked by her well-wishers, she said anything for Meena Aapa. Her career’s biggest high point was Saudagar (1973) co-starring Nutan and Amitabh Bachchan. She played the second wife of Moti (Bachchan), the carefree attractive Phool Bano tastily getting ready while grooving on ‘Sajna Hai Mujhe Sajna Ke Liye’ only to be ridiculed later by Moti. But roles like Saudagar did not come her way frequently. Meanwhile, Bhojpuri cinema continued to give her starring lead heroine roles.

Apart from Hindi, Bhojpuri and Gujarati films, Padma also acted in Punjabi Films. Bhagat Dhanna Jatt had her playing a goddess. She then appeared as a solo heroine opposite Dheeraj Kumar in ‘Sher Puttar’. While films like ‘Chaska’, ‘Kunwara Mama’ and ‘Giddha’ had her in special appearances, she acted opposite her Bhojpuri co-star Sujit Kumar in ‘Jindri Yaar Di’(also starring Veerendra and Komila Virk), her most memorable Punjabi Film.

She got married to film Producer Jagdish Sidana and slowed down on the acting front after the birth of her children (a daughter and a son) while taking up occasional acting assignments.

Nevertheless, on the acting front, she managed to get the audience’s sympathy in star studded ‘Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani’ (1988) in the role of a widow. She got the wreath of TV audience for her portrayal of Kaikeyi in mega serial’ Ramayan’. Both the projects turned out to be her swan songs. Even though some of her delayed films kept releasing till 1996. The couple shifted to America in the 90s for the higher education of their children.

Padma opened a dance academy in New Jersey and continued to teach classical dance. In 2012 London Olympics opened with a dance performance which was choreographed by her. Her husband had passed away a few years back. Now well into her mid-70s, Padma Khanna Sidana is still looking after the academy. Few years back when she was asked about getting back on the acting front, she had said, “Kuch accha laga, toh why not!”