Sadhana Shivdasani (2 September 1941 – 25 December 2015),known mononymously as Sadhana, was an Indian actress who worked in Hindi films. Regarded as one of the finest actresses of Indian Cinema, Sadhana was noted for her exquisite beauty and trend-setting fashion statements. She was popularly known as "The Mystery Girl" for her stint as the "mystery girl" in the suspense thriller trilogy films directed by Raj Khosla during the mid 1960s. Born in Karachi, Sadhana and her family migrated to Bombay during the partition of India when she was 7 years old. After making an uncredited appearance in Shree 420 (1955), Sadhana became the protègè of the director Sashadhar Mukherjee, who cast her in Love In Simla (1960), where her distinctive hairstyle became a rage and came to be known as "Sadhana Cut". Following this success, Sadhana went on to establish herself as a leading actress with films like - Parakh (1960), Hum Dono (1961), Asli-Naqli (1962), Ek Musafir Ek Haseena (1962), Mere Mehboob (1963), Woh Kaun Thi? (1964), Arzoo (1965), Waqt (1965) and Mera Saaya (1966). Sadhana's health deteriorated in the latter half of 1960s due to hyperthyroidism, which forced her to take a brief break from work. She went to Boston for her treatment and returned to acting in 1969, starring in two consecutive box-office hits — Ek Phool Do Mali and Intaqam. In 1974, the actress made her directorial debut with the crime thriller Geetaa Mera Naam, and later withdrew from acting. Her final screen appearance was in the delayed release Ulfat Ki Nayi Manzilein (1994). In 2002, she received the IIFA Lifetime Achievement Award. Sadhana was married to her Love in Simla director R. K. Nayyar on 7 March 1966. She was admitted to Hinduja Hospital on 24 December 2015, following which she died on 25 December 2015.
