achala worked for all india radio, lahore before the partition of india, and then at delhi all india radio. achala made her film debut with "fashionable wife" (1938), and acted in over 130 hindi films. she has acted in many yash raj films, starting with yash chopra's first production "" (1973) and films such as "chandni" (1989) and "dilwale dulhania le jayenge" (1995). her other noted films were "prem pujari", "mera naam joker", "hare rama hare krishna" and "andaz", apart from acting in english films such as the mark robson's "nine hours to rama" (1963) and merchant ivory's "the householder" (1963). however, her most noted role remains as balraj sahani's wife in "waqt" (1965), wherein the hit song "ae meri zohra jabeen" was picturised on her.