Rakhee Gulzar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rakhee Gulzar
Rakhee Gulzar in 2024
Born	Rakhee Majumdar (1940-08-15) 15 August 1940 (age 84) Ranaghat, West Bengal, Dominion of India (present-day Republic of India)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1967–present
Spouse(s)	Ajay Biswas ​ ​ (m. 1963; div. 1965)​ Gulzar ​ ​ (m. 1973; separated 1974)​
Children	Meghna Gulzar (daughter)
Honors	Padma Shri

Raakhee Gulzar (born 15 August 1940), known professionally as Raakhee, is a famous Indian actress. She has starred in many Hindi and Bengali films. Raakhee was one of the most popular actresses in the 1970s and early 1980s.

She has won several important awards, including two National Film Awards and three Filmfare Awards. In 2003, she received the Padma Shri. This is India's fourth-highest award for civilians.

Raakhee started her acting career with the Bengali film Badhu Bharan in 1967. Her first Hindi film was Jeevan Mrityu in 1970. Her career really took off with films like Aankhon Aankhon Mein (1972) and Daag: A Poem of Love (1973). For Daag, she won her first Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. She later won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for her role in Tapasya (1976).

Raakhee became a top actress in Hindi cinema. She starred in many successful films such as Kabhi Kabhie (1976), Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978), Kaala Patthar (1979), and Shakti (1982). Later, she played strong mother or principled woman roles in films like Ram Lakhan (1989), Baazigar (1993), Karan Arjun (1995), and Border (1997). For Ram Lakhan, she won her second Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. In 2003, she won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for Shubho Mahurat.

In 1973, Raakhee married Gulzar, a famous poet and lyricist. They have a daughter named Meghna Gulzar, who is a writer and director.

Early Life and Beginnings

Raakhee was born into a Bengali family on 15 August 1940. She was born in Ranaghat, which is in the Nadia district of West Bengal, India. She went to a local girls' school for her early education. Her father had a shoe business in his village in what is now Bangladesh. After the partition of India, her family moved and settled in West Bengal.

A Star's Journey in Films

Early Roles and First Successes (1967–1975)

In 1967, when she was 20, Raakhee acted in her first Bengali films, Bodhu Boron and Baghini. After these, she got a big role in the Hindi crime thriller Jeevan Mrityu (1970). She starred alongside the actor Dharmendra.

In 1971, Raakhee played two roles in the musical romance Sharmeelee with Shashi Kapoor. She also appeared in the dramas Lal Patthar and Paras. All these films did well, and she quickly became a leading actress in Hindi Cinema. In 1973, she showed her acting skills in films like Heera Panna and Daag: A Poem of Love. Her strong performance in Daag earned her first Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. In 1974, Raakhee received a special award at the National Film Awards for her work in 27 Down.

Becoming a Top Actress (1976–1984)

Raakhee's career reached new heights in 1976 with two very successful movies. The first was Yash Chopra's Kabhi Kabhie. For this film, she was nominated for her second Filmfare Award for Best Actress. Many people praised her beauty and emotional acting in this movie.

The film Tapasya (1976) was also a huge hit. This movie focused mainly on her character. Raakhee played a woman who gave up her own dreams to support her younger brothers and sisters. Her amazing performance earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. She has said that Tapasya was one of the most important films of her career.

Raakhee worked with many popular actors. She starred with Dev Anand in films like Heera Panna and Lootmaar (1980). She also made 10 films with Shashi Kapoor, including Sharmeelee and Doosra Aadmi (1977). Her chemistry with Amitabh Bachchan was very popular. They starred together in eight films, such as Kabhie Kabhie, Muqaddar Ka Sikander (1978), and Kaala Patthar (1979).

In 1981, Raakhee took on a strong female lead role in the film Shradhanjali. After this film's success, she was offered many more roles where the woman's character was central. Even at the peak of her career as a leading lady, she started taking on roles as a sister-in-law or a mother. For example, she played Amitabh Bachchan's mother in Shakti (1982). She also acted in several Bengali films during this time. Her role in Paroma (1984) won her the Bengal Film Journalists' Association Award for Best Actress (Hindi).

Later Roles and Special Appearances (1985–Present)

From the late 1980s through the 2000s, Raakhee played strong character roles. She often played an elderly mother or a woman with strong principles. Some of these successful films include Ram Lakhan (1989), Khalnayak (1993), Baazigar (1993), Karan Arjun (1995), and Border (1997).

In 2003, she appeared in Rituparno Ghosh's mystery film Shubho Mahurat. For this role, she won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress. In 2019, she starred in the film Nirbon, playing a 70-year-old woman with strong beliefs. Raakhee said she was fascinated by the story of Nirbon. She currently lives a quiet life on her farmhouse outside Mumbai, where she cares for animals, grows vegetables, and reads.

Other Creative Work

Besides acting, Raakhee has also worked in other areas of filmmaking. She was a costume designer for the film Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha (1998). She also helped with dress assistance for Dil Kya Kare (1999). In 1982, she even lent her voice for a song in the film Taaqat.

Personal Life

When Raakhee was a teenager, she had an arranged marriage to a Bengali journalist and film director named Ajay Biswas. This marriage ended shortly after.

When she started her film career, she used only her first name, "Raakhee." She became very famous by this name. Later, she married the lyricist and director Sampooran Singh Kalra, who is known as Gulzar. She then took his surname and became known as Raakhee Gulzar.

Raakhee and Gulzar have a daughter, Meghna Gulzar. When Meghna was only one year old, Raakhee and Gulzar separated. Meghna later studied filmmaking and became a director. She has directed films like Filhaal... (2002) and Just Married (2007). She also wrote a book about her father.

Raakhee used to live in a bungalow in Mumbai. She later sold it and moved to an apartment nearby. Her daughter, Meghna, has said that Raakhee has lived her life with great dignity and grace.

Filmography

Awards and Honors

Civilian Award

Film Awards