Vidya Sinha no more

A popular actress in Bollywood in the 1970s-1980s, comfortably straddling both the commercial and alternate cinema, Vidya Sinha was noted for her sad and somber roles as well as light and romantic films with many top actors of the era.

Among her other notable films were: 'Hawas' (1974), 'Chhoti Si Baat' (1975), 'Mera Jeevana'(1976), the crime-thriller 'Inkaar,' 'Kitaab' (both 1977), 'Pati, Patni aur Woh' and Basu Chatterjee's 'Safed Jhooth' (both 1978), a horror flick 'Saboot' (1980), 'Love Story' and as a gangster in 'Josh' (both 1981) and Salman Khan's mega-hit 'Bodyguard' (2011).

Gracefully sailing into senior roles in films and television, she was seen in teleserials like "Kkavyanjali" (2005), "Haar Jeet" (2012), "Qubool Hai" (2012), "Isqh Ka Rang Safed" (2015), "Chandra Nandini" (2016) and lately in "Kulfi Kumar Bajewala" (2018 onwards), telecast on various entertainment channels.

Born in Mumbai on November 15, 1947, to film producer Rana Pratap Singh, she started her professional career as a model and even won the Miss Bombay contest, catching the eye of renowned filmmaker Basu Chatterjee, making her mark in the industry though she entered it post-marriage.

After Iyer's death in 1996, she had quit acting for some time and entered into a wedlock with Netaji B. Salunkhe, a doctor, in a temple ceremony.

They lived in a flat in Andheri west, but soon afterwards the marriage soured with her husband allegedly torturing her and demanding money, resulting in a police case which she subsequently won.