Rakhee Gulzar


Raakhee Gulzar, professionally known as Raakhee, is an Indian actress who primarily works in Hindi and Bengali films. One of the leading and most popular actresses of the 1970s and early 1980s, Raakhee is a recipient of several awards including two National Film Awards and three Filmfare Awards. In 2003, she received Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award.
Raakhee made her film debut with the Bengali film Badhu Bharan. She had her first Hindi film with Jeevan Mrityu. Raakhee's career marked a turning point with Aankhon Aankhon Mein, Daag: A Poem of Love, for which she won her first Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress, and 27 Down. She won her first and only Filmfare Award for Best Actress for Tapasya.
Raakhee went on to establish herself as one of the leading actresses of Hindi cinema with films like - Blackmail, Kabhi Kabhie, Doosra Aadmi, Trishna, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Kaala Patthar, Jurmana, Barsaat Ki Ek Raat, Shakti, Ram Lakhan, for which she won her second Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress, Baazigar, Karan Arjun, Border, Ek Rishtaa: The Bond of Love and Shubho Mahurat. For the last of these, she won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Raakhee married poet, lyricist and author Gulzar in 1973 with whom she has a daughter, writer and director Meghna Gulzar.

Early life

Raakhee was born in a Bengali family at Ranaghat in the Nadia district of West Bengal on 15 August 1947. She received her early education in a local girls' school. Her father had a flourishing shoe business in his native village located in Meherpur, Bangladesh which was then a part of Nadia district of undivided India, before the partition of India, and thereafter he settled in West Bengal.

Career

Early work and breakthrough (1967–1975)

In 1967, the 20-year-old Raakhee acted in her first Bengali film Bodhu Boron and Baghini, after which she was offered the lead role in Rajshri Productions' successful crime thriller Jeevan Mrityu opposite Dharmendra.
Raakhee played a triple role opposite Shashi Kapoor in the musical romance Sharmeelee, and also starred in the dramas Lal Patthar and Paras; all three films emerged as commercial successes and she quickly established herself as a leading actress of Hindi Cinema. Shehzada opposite Rajesh Khanna and Aankhon Aankhon Mein opposite a relative newcomer Rakesh Roshan showcased her comic abilities, though their box office returns was unsatisfactory. In 1973, she continued to display versatility even in relatively small roles in the romances Heera Panna and Daag: A Poem of Love, with her strong performances, earning her first Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for the latter. In 1974, Raakhee won a Special Souvenir prize at the National Film Awards for 27 Down. The Telegraph commended her "nuanced take on an independent working woman who has more steel in her than the film’s flawed protagonist – truly a break from the synthetic women in films of the era".

Widespread success and critical acclaim (1976–1984)

In 1976, Raakhee's career peaked after starring in two movies that garnered her widespread acclaim. The first was Yash Chopra's Kabhi Kabhie, for which she earned her second Filmfare Award for Best Actress nomination. The film had been written with Raakhee in mind, and she had agreed to do it during the making of Daag. Citing her as having "one of the most gorgeous faces to have been seen on the Hindi screen", Filmfare magazine retrospectively called it "a perfect ode to her exquisiteness: Her wine eyes, a prism of myriad emotions. Her poignant voice holding back the surging sadness. She played the beautiful muse, whose parting leaves poet Amitabh Bachchan devastated. threw open a second innings for the actress who then went on to star in blockbusters that left critics overwhelmed and art house actors envious. From initially being compared to actress Nimmi, given her hazel eyes, and later to Meena Kumari, given her proclivity towards the tragic, Raakhee cut through it all to stand apart".
The phenomenal success of Rajshri Productions' Tapasya, a heroine-dominated drama, established Raakhee as a box-office name to reckon with. Starring opposite Asrani and Parikshit Sahni, her portrayal of a family breadwinner who sacrifices her dreams and ambitions for the future of her younger siblings, earned Raakhee her first and only Filmfare Award for Best Actress. The Hindu acknowledged her role as a "calculated risk", which required her to be shown in a "mature, somewhat middle aged role", and praised her "amazing restraint and conviction" in it. She later described the film as "one of the most important films of my career" and regards her performances in Blackmail, Tapasya and Aanchal as her best.
Raakhee starred with Dev Anand in Heera Panna, Banarasi Babu, Joshila and Lootmaar. She starred opposite Shashi Kapoor in 10 released films: Sharmeelee, Jaanwar Aur Insaan, Kabhie Kabhie, Doosra Aadmi, the critically acclaimed Trishna, Baseraa, Bandhan Kuchchey Dhaagon Ka, Zameen Aasmaan, and Pighalta Aasman and the unreleased Ek Do Teen Chaar. Her exemplary chemistry with Amitabh Bachchan was showcased in eight films: Kabhie Kabhie, Muqaddar Ka Sikander, Kasme Vaade, Trishul, Kaala Patthar, Jurmana, Barsaat Ki Ek Raat, and Bemisal. In some films such as Jurmana, her name is even credited ahead of the hero. She also formed a popular pair with Sanjeev Kumar in films like Hamare Tumhare and Shriman Shrimati.
In 1981, a 23-year-old aspiring director Anil Sharma asked her to star in an out-and-out female oriented role in his debut film Shradhanjali. After the success of the film, Raakhee was flooded by strong heroine-dominated roles. At the peak of her career as a popular heroine, she surprised everyone by accepting strong character roles as sister-in-law to Rajesh Khanna in Aanchal, Shashi Kapoor and Amitabh in Shaan, Mithun Chakraborty in Dhuan '', and mother to Amitabh in Shakti and Rishi Kapoor in Yeh Vaada Raha. She also starred in several Bengali films at the time, with Paroma'' earning her the Bengal Film Journalists' Association Award for Best Actress.

Supporting parts and sporadic work (1985–present)

Towards the late 1980s, 1990s and 2000's, she played strong character roles as the elderly mother or a woman of principles in commercially successful films such as Ram Lakhan, Anari, Khalnayak, Baazigar, Karan Arjun, Border, Soldier, Ek Rishtaa: The Bond of Love and Dil Ka Rishta. In 2003, she appeared in Rituparno Ghosh's mystery thriller Shubho Mahurat, which earned her the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress. In a 2012 interview, she said that her favourite heroes were Rajesh Khanna and Shashi Kapoor. In 2019, Kolkata International Film Festival the film Nirbon directed by Goutam Halder was premiered, where Raakhee portrayed the role of Bijolibala, a 70 year old lady with a strong conviction. "Doing films is not on my agenda right now, but the story fascinated me" said Raakhee said about the adaptation of Moti Nandi's novel Bijolibalar Mukti.

Other work

Apart from her acting career, Raakhee delved into various other field, some of which include costume designing and dress assistance. In 1982, she lent her voice for the film Taaqat in the song "Teri Nindiya Ko Lag Jaaye Aag Re" sung alongside Kishore Kumar.

Personal life

Whilst still a teenager, Raakhee had an arranged marriage to Bengali journalist/film director Ajay Biswas, which ended shortly afterwards.
At the start of her film career, she dropped her surname and was mentioned in film credits only as "Raakhee", by which name she attained stardom, but upon marrying lyricist-director Sampooran Singh Kalra, professionally known as Gulzar, she took his pen name as her surname and is credited thereafter as Raakhee Gulzar. The couple has a daughter, Meghna Gulzar. When their daughter was only one year old, they separated.
After completing her graduation in films from New York University, Meghna went on to become a director of films including Filhaal..., Just Married and Dus Kahaniyaan, and authored a biography of her father in 2004.
At one point, Raakhee stayed in her bungalow, "Muktangan", on Sarojini Road in Khar, Mumbai. Later, she sold the property and moved to an apartment two buildings away, though the new highrise is still called by the same name, as she had wished. "My mother has lived her professional and personal life with tremendous dignity and grace", said Meghna Gulzar, daughter of Raakhee, in an interview. Presently, she lives a reclusive life in her farmhouse at Panvel on the outskirts of Mumbai, spending time in tending to a huge flock of animals, growing vegetables and reading books.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleLanguageNotesRef.
1967Badhu Bharan–Bengali
1968BaghiniBengali
1970AparajeyaBinaAssamese
1970Jeevan MrityuDeepaHindiHindi debut
1971SharmileeKanchan/KaminiHindi
1971Reshma Aur SheraGopal's WifeHindi
1971ParasBarkha SinghHindi
1971Lal PattharSumitaHindi
1972Anokhi PehchanHindi
1972Aan BaanRekhaHindi
1972Aankhon Aankhon MeinParvatiHindiNominated – Filmfare Award for Best Actress
1972BeimaanSapnaHindi
1972Janwar Aur InsaanMeenaHindi
1972ShehzadaChandaHindi
1972Shaadi Ke BaadShovaHindi
1972Sub Ka SaathiRosieHindi
1972WafaaSaraswatiHindi
1972Yaar MeraSarlaHindi
1973Heera PannaReema SinghHindiSpecial appearance
1973Daag: A Poem of LoveChandniHindiWon – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress
1973BlackmailAsha MehtaHindi
1973Banarasi BabuNeelaHindi
1973JoshilaSapnaHindiSpecial appearance
1974PagliGoriHindi
197427 DownShaliniHindiWon – National Film Award, Special Souvenir
1975Mere SajnaKammoHindi
1975AngaareyShovaHindi
1976TapasyaIndrani Sinha HindiWon – Filmfare Award for Best Actress
1976Kabhi KabhiePooja KhannaHindiNominated – Filmfare Award for Best Actress
1977Doosra AadmiNishaHindiNominated – Filmfare Award for Best Actress & for Best Supporting Actress
1978Chameli MemsahebChameliBangla
1978TrishnaAarti GuptaHindiNominated – Filmfare Award for Best Actress
1978Kasme VaadeSumanHindi
1978TrishulGeetaHindi
1978Muqaddar Ka SikandarKaamnaHindi
1979Hamare TumhareMayaHindi
1979JurmanaRama SharmaHindiNominated – Filmfare Award for Best Actress
1979Kaala PattharDr. Sudha SenHindi
1979ShyamlaBengali
1980LootmaarRaksha BhagatHindiSpecial appearance
1980AanchalShantiHindi
1980Hum KadamIndu GuptaHindi
1980ShaanSheetal KumarHindi
1981RockyParvatiHindi
1981LaawarisVidyaHindiSpecial appearance
1981DhuaanRani GayatriHindi
1981Barsaat Ki Ek RaatRajniBengali-Hindi bilingual
1981AnusandhanTamoshaBengali-Hindi bilingual
1981BaseraaSharda Balraj KohliHindiNominated – Filmfare Award for Best Actress
1981ShradhanjaliBhabhi maaHindi
1982Yeh Vaada RahaSharda Rai BahadurHindi
1982TaaqatDeviHindi
1982Shriman ShrimatiParvati DeviHindi
1982BemisalKavitaHindi
1982Dil Aakhir Dil HaiKusum DesaiHindi
1982ShaktiSheetalHindiNominated – Filmfare Award for Best Actress
1983Bandhan Kuchchey Dhaagon KaBhavnaHindi
1984Anand Aur AnandMrs. Arun AnandHindi
1984Bandh HonthHindi
1984ParamaParamaBengali
1984Zindagi Jeene Ke LiyeHindi
1984Zameen AasmaanKavitaHindi
1985Pighalta AasmanAartiHindi
1985SaahebSujata SharmaHindiNominated – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress
1986AmmaShantaHindi
1986ZindaganiSumitra DeviHindi
1987Muqaddar Ka FaislaLaxmiHindi
1987DacaitDevi ChoudhrainHindi
1988Gold MedalShobha/DimpleHindi
1988Mere BaadVidyaHindi
1988FalakDurga VermaHindi
1988PrateekSunandaBengali
1988Sagar SangamGangaHindi
1989Ram LakhanSharda Pratap SinghHindiWon – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress
1989SantoshRachnaHindi
1990Jeevan Ek SangharshDharam VermaHindi
1991SaugandhGangaHindi
1991PratikarSaraswati DeviHindi
1993RudaaliBhikni/EuliHindi
1993PratimurtiBengali
1993Khal NayakMrs. Aarti PrasadHindi
1993KshatriyaMaheshwari DeviHindi
1993Dil Ki BaaziNirmala DeviHindi
1993AnariSavitriHindiNominated – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress
1993BaazigarMrs. Shobha SharmaHindi
1994Phiriye DaoArjun's motherBengali
1994Swami VivekanandaRajasthani tribalHindi
1995Karan ArjunDurga SinghHindiNominated – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress
1995KismatGeetaHindi
1996DurjanBengali
1996 JaanRukminiHindi
1997Achena AtithiBengali
1997BorderDharamvir's motherHindiNominated – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress
1997Jeevan YudhMrs. RaiHindi
1997Ankhon Mein Tum HoRanimaa Hindi
1998Sham GhanshamGanga Satyadev SinghHindi
1998Barood Gayatri SharmaHindi
1998SoldierGeeta MalhotraHindiNominated – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress
1999BaadshahChief Minister GayatriHindi
2001Ek Rishtaa: The Bond of LovePratima KapoorHindi
2003Talaash: The Hunt BeginsPurnimaHindi
2003Dil Ka RishtaMrs. SharmaHindi
2003Shubho MahuratRanga PishimaBengaliNational Film Award for Best Supporting Actress
2009ClassmatesHindi
2019NirbaanBijolibabaBengali
2025Aamar BossBengali