Balraj Sahni was always interested in acting, and started his acting career with the plays of the Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA). Sahni started his film career in Mumbai with the film Insaaf (1946), followed by Dharti Ke Lal directed by KA Abbas in 1946, Door Chaleinin 1946, and other films. But it was in 1953, with Bimal Roy's classic Do Bigha Zameen, that his true forte as an actor was first recognised. The film won the international prize at the Cannes Film Festival.
Balraj Sahni's wife Damayanti died at a young age in 1947, who was the heroine of his film, Gudiya (1947) and two years later he married his first cousin, Santosh Chandhok, later known as an author and television writer. Balraj was a gifted writer, his early writings were in English, though later in life he switched to Punjabi, and became a writer of repute in Punjabi literature. In 1960, after a visit to Pakistan, he wrote Mera Pakistani Safar.
Balraj Sahni acted opposite top heroines like Nutan, Meena Kumari, Vyjayantimala, and Nargis in films like Seema (1955), Sone Ki Chidiya (1958), Satta Bazaar (1959), Bhabhi Ki Chudiyan (1961), Kathputli (1957), Lajwanti (1958) and Ghar Sansaar (1958).
However, he is perhaps best remembered by the current generation for the picturization of the legendary song Ae Meri Zohra Jabeen from the movie Waqt (1965) on him. Sahni appeared opposite Achala Sachdev in the number. His acting in Do Bigha Zameen and Garam Hawa were the highlights of his career. He believed in what is known as 'Neo-Realistic' cinema.
In 1970 Balraj was also starred in the classic Punjabi film Nanak Dukhiya Sub Sansar. Balraj Sahni died on April 13, 1973 at the age of 59.
Sahni was undoubtedly one of the greatest actors ever to come on the Indian screen.
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