Early Work
After her debut in the film Anmol Sahara (1952), in a small part, Ameeta spent the next few years playing various supporting roles in films such as Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1953) and Aab E Hayat (1955). Her strikingly pretty looks and fresh-faced appeal, combined with some confident performances, meant that she quickly graduated as second lead to prominent heroines like Nalini Jaywant and Madhubala in films such as Munimji (1955) and Shirin Farhad (1956).
Around this period Ameeta made a questionable choice in her fledgling career. She was approached by the legendary film maker, Mehboob Khan, to play a role in his much anticipated production, Mother India (1957). The film had high expectations and had a stellar cast which included Nargis, Sunil Dutt, Rajendra Kumar and Raaj Kumar. It was being produced in Technicolor, a rarity in India then. The role Ameeta was approached for was as Rajendra Kumar's sweetheart. It had already been rejected by Mala Sinha and Ameeta too backed out, feeling that in a film starring the celebrated and charismatic Nargis, she would be overlooked. However being associated with such a prestigious film as a relatively new and unknown actress could have raised her profile greatly and given her career a much needed boost. The part Ameeta rejected was eventually played by the actress Kumkum and Mother India went on to be one of the most successful films in the history of Indian cinema.
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