Rakhee Gulzar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rakhee Gulzar
Rakhee Gulzar in 2024
Born	Rakhee Majumdar (1947-08-15) 15 August 1947 (age 77) 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)
Awards	National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress Filmfare Award for Best Actress Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress BJFA Award for Best Actress (Hindi)
Honors	Padma Shri

Raakhee Gulzar (born 15 August 1947), known professionally as Raakhee, is a famous Indian actress. She has acted in over 100 films in both Hindi and Bengali languages over four decades. Raakhee has won many important awards, including two National Film Awards and three Filmfare Awards. In 2003, she received the Padma Shri, which is one of India's highest civilian honors.

Raakhee started her acting journey 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).

She became one of the top actresses in Hindi cinema, starring in many popular movies. These include 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.

Raakhee married the famous poet and director Gulzar in 1973. They have a daughter, Meghna Gulzar, who is now a writer and director.

Early Life and Beginnings

Raakhee was born into a Bengali family in Ranaghat, West Bengal. She was born on 15 August 1947, just hours after India became independent. She went to a local girls' school for her early education. Her father had a shoe business before the partition of India, and later settled in West Bengal.

Her Acting Career

Starting in Bengali and Hindi Films

In 1967, at age 20, Raakhee acted in her first Bengali films, Bodhu Boron and Baghini. After this, she got a main role in the Hindi film Jeevan Mrityu (1970), starring opposite Dharmendra.

In 1971, Raakhee played a double role in the musical romance Sharmeelee with Shashi Kapoor. She also starred in Lal Patthar and Paras. All these films were successful, 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, she received a special award at the National Film Awards for her role in 27 Down.

Rising to Stardom

In 1976, Raakhee's career reached new heights with two highly praised movies. One was Yash Chopra's Kabhie Kabhie, for which she was nominated for a Filmfare Award for Best Actress. This film was written with her in mind.

The other big success was Tapasya (1976), a drama where the heroine was the main focus. This film made Raakhee a very popular name at the box office. She played a character who sacrifices her own dreams for her younger siblings. For this role, Raakhee won her first and only Filmfare Award for Best Actress. She later said Tapasya was "one of the most important films of my career."

Popular On-Screen Pairs

Raakhee worked with many top actors. She starred with Dev Anand in films like Heera Panna and Lootmaar (1980). She made 10 films with Shashi Kapoor, including Sharmeelee and Kabhie Kabhie. Her amazing chemistry with Amitabh Bachchan was seen in eight films, such as Kabhie Kabhie, Muqaddar Ka Sikander (1978), and Shakti (1982). She also formed a popular pair with Sanjeev Kumar in movies like Hamare Tumhare (1979).

Later Career and Character Roles

In the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, Raakhee began playing strong character roles. She often played an elderly mother or a woman with strong principles. These roles were in very successful films like 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, her film Nirbon was shown at the Kolkata International Film Festival. Raakhee played a 70-year-old woman with strong beliefs in this movie.

Beyond acting, Raakhee also contributed to films in other ways. She worked as a costume designer for Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha (1998) and 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 "Raakhee" as her name. After marrying the lyricist and director Gulzar, she took his pen name as her surname and became known as Raakhee Gulzar. They have a daughter, Meghna Gulzar. They separated when their daughter was only one year old.

Meghna Gulzar later became a film director herself, making movies like Filhaal... (2002) and Just Married (2007). She also wrote a book about her father.

Raakhee used to live in a bungalow in Khar, Mumbai. Now, she lives a quiet life at her farmhouse in Panvel, outside Mumbai. She enjoys taking care of animals, growing vegetables, and reading books.

Filmography

Awards and Honors

Civilian Award

Film Awards