Raakhee

Raakhee Gulzar ( Majumdar) (; born 15 August 1947), 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'' (1967). She had her first Hindi film with '' Jeevan Mrityu'' (1970). Raakhee's career marked a turning point with '' Aankhon Aankhon Mein'' (1972), '' Daag: A Poem of Love'' (1973), for which she won her first Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress, and '' 27 Down'' (1974). She won her first and only Filmfare Award for Best Actress for '' Tapasya'' (1976).

Raakhee went on to establish herself as one of the leading actresses of Hindi cinema with films like - ''Blackmail'' (1973), '' Kabhi Kabhie'' (1976), '' Doosra Aadmi'' (1977), '' Trishna'', '' Muqaddar Ka Sikandar'' (both 1978), '' Kaala Patthar'', '' Jurmana'' (both 1979), '' Barsaat Ki Ek Raat'' (1981), ''Shakti'' (1982), '' Ram Lakhan'' (1989), for which she won her second Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress, ''Baazigar'' (1993), '' Karan Arjun'' (1995), ''Border'' (1997), '' Ek Rishtaa: The Bond of Love'' (2001) and '' Shubho Mahurat'' (2003). 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 in the early hours of 15 August 1947, just hours after the independence of India. She received her early education in a local girls' school. Her father had a flourishing shoe business in his native village located in Meherpur, East Bengal which was then a part of Nadia district of undivided India (modern-day Bangladesh), 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' crime thriller '' Jeevan Mrityu'' (1970) opposite Dharmendra.

In 1971, Raakhee played a double 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'' (1972) opposite Rajesh Khanna and '' Aankhon Aankhon Mein'' (1972) 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. he filmthrew 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'' (1976), 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'' (1973), ''Tapasya'' and '' Aanchal'' (1980) as her best.

Raakhee starred with Dev Anand in ''Heera Panna'', '' Banarasi Babu'' (1973), '' Joshila'' (1973) and '' Lootmaar'' (1980). She starred opposite Shashi Kapoor in 10 released films: ''Sharmeelee'', '' Jaanwar Aur Insaan'' (1972), ''Kabhie Kabhie'' (1976), '' Doosra Aadmi'' (1977), the critically acclaimed '' Trishna'' (1978), '' Baseraa'' (1981), (1983), '' Zameen Aasmaan'' (1984), and '' Pighalta Aasman'' (1985) and the unreleased ''Ek Do Teen Chaar.'' Her exemplary chemistry with Amitabh Bachchan was showcased in eight films: ''Kabhie Kabhie'', '' Muqaddar Ka Sikander'' (1978), '' Kasme Vaade'' (1978), '' Trishul'' (1978), '' Kaala Patthar'' (1979), '' Jurmana'' (1979), (1981), and '' Bemisal'' (1982). 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'' (1979) and '' Shriman Shrimati'' (1982).

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'' (1980), Mithun Chakraborty in '' Dhuan'' (1981)'','' and mother to Amitabh in ''Shakti'' and Rishi Kapoor in '' Yeh Vaada Raha'' (1982). She also starred in several Bengali films at the time, with '' Paroma'' (1984) earning her the Bengal Film Journalists' Association Award for Best Actress (Hindi).

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'' (1989), '' Anari'' (1993), '' Khalnayak'' (1993), ''Baazigar'' (1993), '' Karan Arjun'' (1995), ''Border'' (1997), ''Soldier'' (1998), '' Ek Rishtaa: The Bond of Love'' (2001) and '' Dil Ka Rishta'' (2002). 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 (for '' Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha'' (1998)) and dress assistance (for '' Dil Kya Kare'' (1999)). 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...'' (2002), '' Just Married'' (2007) and '' Dus Kahaniyaan'' (2007), and authored a biography of her father in 2004.

At one point, Raakhee stayed in her bungalow, "Muktangan" (bought from the Marathi playwright P. L. Deshpande), 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

Accolades

Civilian Award

Film Awards

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gulzar, Raakhee
Indian film actresses
Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts
1947 births
Living people
Best Supporting Actress National Film Award winners
Actresses in Bengali cinema
Bengali actresses
Actresses in Hindi cinema
Filmfare Awards winners
People from Nadia district
Bengali Hindus
Gulzar