Jaya Bachchan and Waheeda Rehman attend veteran actress Kamini Kaushal’s prayer meet

Jaya Bachchan and Waheeda Rehman attending Kamini Kaushal’s prayer meet is one of those moments where generations of Hindi cinema quietly converge in a single frame. The atmosphere at the venue was calm, filled with people who had come not just to pay respects, but to acknowledge the passing of an era. Kamini Kaushal, who was 98, belonged to the earliest chapter of post-Independence Indian cinema, and her legacy still echoes in the industry today.

Jaya Bachchan arrived early, dressed in her usual understated white, greeting senior members of the fraternity with warmth and familiarity. Waheeda Rehman, dignified and graceful as always, followed soon after. The two icons shared a gentle, heartfelt exchange. Anyone watching could sense the weight of memory between them. They had lived through decades of shifting film culture, and Kaushal had been a bridge to the years even before theirs.

Inside the hall, there were no elaborate displays, no loud announcements. It was a quiet gathering, appropriate for someone who lived and worked with unmistakable sincerity. Kamini Kaushal had acted with the likes of Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Raj Kapoor and Balraj Sahni. She brought a naturalism to Hindi cinema long before the word became fashionable. Even in her later years, appearing in films like Kabir Singh, Chennai Express and Laaga Chunari Mein Daag, she maintained the same stillness and grounding that defined her early performances.

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What struck many at the meet was how deeply the older generation felt her loss. For them, Kaushal wasn’t just an actress. She was a symbol of the industry’s gentler years, when work happened at a slower pace, when actors shared deeper camaraderie, and when artistry mattered more than visibility. Jaya Bachchan, often vocal about how much the industry has changed, stood in silence for a long moment before taking her seat. Waheeda Rehman, who had known Kaushal personally, spoke softly to a few close acquaintances before joining the prayer.