A winner of accolades such as the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, multiple Filmfare awards and the National Film Award, Waheeda Rehman has acted in over 45 films. But she’s far greater than the awards she’s won or the films she’s done. In a recent conversation with Twinkle Khanna, the star shared how she took on being a professional in the film industry, while still remaining authentic to herself. And there’s so much to learn from that. 

First of all though, did you know that the Guide actor almost became a doctor instead of the star she is today? And it’s frankly inspirational to hear that she enjoys reading medical journals, even today. But, we’re glad that she chose to follow her passion for acting, because hey, what a gift the celeb is to the audience. 

During the conversation, Waheeda Rehman spoke about how she set the standard for how she wanted to be treated as an actor right from the beginning of her career. She did this by being equally involved in creating her acting contract, and getting clauses added to it that created a fair playing field for her. 

For instance, the actor made sure she wouldn’t be forced to wear clothes that made her uncomfortable in any way. She didn’t change her name even when filmmakers tried their best to persuade her for it. 

The actor never shied away from voicing herself at any time. She even recalled getting into a quarrel with director Raj Khosla for having to wear a blouse she disliked! But apart from being so courageous, she also believes in having a solid circle of female friends and at the age of 83, has so many goals that she wants to accomplish. One of which, by the way, is wanting to learn scuba diving. 

So, as you can see, Waheeda Rehman is and has always been such an example to so many women on how to excel at a career, without feeling the need to conform. You can watch the entire interview here. 

A royal and true badass.