Bollywood Masala Mix
Raakhee defied accepted norms to move up the ranks
Raakhee Gulzar, also known as Raakhee or Rakhi, born August 15, 1947, is an actress originally from the state of West Bengal. Unlike most other Bengali beauties, Rakhee did not have any filmy background. It is never easy to make it big in the film industry if you don't have your roots out there, people say. Rakhee seems to prove everybody wrong by her skillful acting. Raakhee Gulzar's career spans from the late 1960s to 2003.
Raakhee won rave reviews for her first Bengali film "Badhu Baran" 1967 in Calcutta .
But the initial years were not at all easy for this beautiful lady. Her talent as an actress was recognized by none other than producer-actor Sunil Dutt himself. It was he who cast her in his movie "Reshma Aur Shera", but she never seemed to get much of the attention for this film, yet. She never gave up. She kept on doing small roles in movies like "Falak" and "Laal Patthar" where the presence of already established actresses like Hema Malini proved to be costly for Rakhee.
Her marriage to Ajoy Biswas, a producer and journalist, seemed to cast a ray of light on her career. But when she was not selected in the screen test for the film, which her own husband was directing, her hope diminished.
However it was Rajashri Films that sparked up her hope again in the film "Jeevan Mrityu" casting with the then rage, Dharmendra. The movie was a big hit. The song 'Jhilmil Sitaron Ka Aangan Hoga" became a household song. With the good news of starting her career afresh came the bad news, the divorce with her husband Ajoy Biswas. That did not hinder her acting career.
She shot to fame in the 1971 film "Sharmilee" where she played a double role opposite Shashi Kapoor. She has since starred in many more Hindi blockbuster films most notably "Kabhie Kabhie" (1976), "Muqaddar Ka Sikander" (1977), "Trishul "(1978), "Kaala Patthar" (1979) and "Lawaaris" (1981). She also did some memorable films like "Daag"(1973), "Tapasya" (1976) , "Jurmana" (1979) and "Bemisal"(1982).
She seemed to work with all the heartthrobs of her time, including Dev Anand, Shashi Kapoor, Rajesh Khanna and Dharmendra. In later years she went on to act with Vinod Khanna and Vinod Mehra. But she was best paired with none other that Big B himself. When she was in the peak of her career she re-married filmmaker Gulzar, but unfortunately even this marriage didn't seem to work.
Around this time she made a comeback with films like "Laawaris", "Tapasya", "Kaala Patthar", "Kabhie Kabhie", "Trishul" and "Muqaddar Ka Siqandar", the films that went on to celebrate their Silver Jubilee.
Raakhee became an alcoholic and for a time drank heavily. During this mid-career period Raakhee excelled in dramatic roles and was compared to the 'queen of tragedy' Meena Kumari. Ironically both of her ex-husbands reportedly had affairs with Kumari. This comparison rankled Raakhee to no end and must have caused her great angst as Raakhee was a great dramatic actress in her own right.
Unlike the other actresses who refused to do a mother's role in the later years of their career, Rakhee never seem to mind doing that. For her it is only a part of her career and that does not seem to bother her much. In fact Rakhee, who was paired with Amitabh Bachchan as his heroine in films like "Barsaat Ki Ek Raat"," Trishul", "Kasme Vaade", "Kala Patthar"and the most remembered "Kabhie Kabhie", played his mother in films like "Shakti".
Her role as mother of almost all the actors continued since the late 90s including with Anil Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Salman Khan,Akshay Kumar and Shahrukh Khan. The list is endless: "Ram Laakhan", "Karan Arjun", "Khalnayak", "Border", "Soldier", "Shyam Ghanshyam" and "Ek Rishtaa". She also got the best supporting actress award for her motherly role in "Ram Laakhan".
Her last film was "Dil Ka Rishta" in 2003 and has not appeared in any films since.
Raakhee was awarded the Padma Shri in 2003. She has a daughter, Meghna Bosky, who had directed a film named "Filhaal" starring Sushmita Sen, Tabu, Sanjay Suri and Palaash Sen.
In a film and social culture where marriage often means retirement for an actress, Raakhee who was already married and divorced by the time she was 18, was one of the few married woman to become a star in Bollywood. In fact she took the retirement route after her second marriage to script writer/ director Gulzar. She had a child but Raakhee couldn't stay away from acting and made a film comeback that strained and eventually ended her second marriage. She didn't get to do any of his films, but she certainly got all the respect from the people of the industry. They separated amicably without a divorce.
Raakhee has won three Fimfare acting awards and unlike most of the actresses who were beauty queens of the 60s and 70s she continued to act in films up until 2003. She is a true troubadour with over 30 years in the film industry.
With the intensity of her acting that entailed all the versatile roles that came her way, she seems to be the most adored actress of yesteryear.
Raakhee won rave reviews for her first Bengali film "Badhu Baran" 1967 in Calcutta .
But the initial years were not at all easy for this beautiful lady. Her talent as an actress was recognized by none other than producer-actor Sunil Dutt himself. It was he who cast her in his movie "Reshma Aur Shera", but she never seemed to get much of the attention for this film, yet. She never gave up. She kept on doing small roles in movies like "Falak" and "Laal Patthar" where the presence of already established actresses like Hema Malini proved to be costly for Rakhee.
Her marriage to Ajoy Biswas, a producer and journalist, seemed to cast a ray of light on her career. But when she was not selected in the screen test for the film, which her own husband was directing, her hope diminished.
However it was Rajashri Films that sparked up her hope again in the film "Jeevan Mrityu" casting with the then rage, Dharmendra. The movie was a big hit. The song 'Jhilmil Sitaron Ka Aangan Hoga" became a household song. With the good news of starting her career afresh came the bad news, the divorce with her husband Ajoy Biswas. That did not hinder her acting career.
She shot to fame in the 1971 film "Sharmilee" where she played a double role opposite Shashi Kapoor. She has since starred in many more Hindi blockbuster films most notably "Kabhie Kabhie" (1976), "Muqaddar Ka Sikander" (1977), "Trishul "(1978), "Kaala Patthar" (1979) and "Lawaaris" (1981). She also did some memorable films like "Daag"(1973), "Tapasya" (1976) , "Jurmana" (1979) and "Bemisal"(1982).
She seemed to work with all the heartthrobs of her time, including Dev Anand, Shashi Kapoor, Rajesh Khanna and Dharmendra. In later years she went on to act with Vinod Khanna and Vinod Mehra. But she was best paired with none other that Big B himself. When she was in the peak of her career she re-married filmmaker Gulzar, but unfortunately even this marriage didn't seem to work.
Around this time she made a comeback with films like "Laawaris", "Tapasya", "Kaala Patthar", "Kabhie Kabhie", "Trishul" and "Muqaddar Ka Siqandar", the films that went on to celebrate their Silver Jubilee.
Raakhee became an alcoholic and for a time drank heavily. During this mid-career period Raakhee excelled in dramatic roles and was compared to the 'queen of tragedy' Meena Kumari. Ironically both of her ex-husbands reportedly had affairs with Kumari. This comparison rankled Raakhee to no end and must have caused her great angst as Raakhee was a great dramatic actress in her own right.
Unlike the other actresses who refused to do a mother's role in the later years of their career, Rakhee never seem to mind doing that. For her it is only a part of her career and that does not seem to bother her much. In fact Rakhee, who was paired with Amitabh Bachchan as his heroine in films like "Barsaat Ki Ek Raat"," Trishul", "Kasme Vaade", "Kala Patthar"and the most remembered "Kabhie Kabhie", played his mother in films like "Shakti".
Her role as mother of almost all the actors continued since the late 90s including with Anil Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Salman Khan,Akshay Kumar and Shahrukh Khan. The list is endless: "Ram Laakhan", "Karan Arjun", "Khalnayak", "Border", "Soldier", "Shyam Ghanshyam" and "Ek Rishtaa". She also got the best supporting actress award for her motherly role in "Ram Laakhan".
Her last film was "Dil Ka Rishta" in 2003 and has not appeared in any films since.
Raakhee was awarded the Padma Shri in 2003. She has a daughter, Meghna Bosky, who had directed a film named "Filhaal" starring Sushmita Sen, Tabu, Sanjay Suri and Palaash Sen.
In a film and social culture where marriage often means retirement for an actress, Raakhee who was already married and divorced by the time she was 18, was one of the few married woman to become a star in Bollywood. In fact she took the retirement route after her second marriage to script writer/ director Gulzar. She had a child but Raakhee couldn't stay away from acting and made a film comeback that strained and eventually ended her second marriage. She didn't get to do any of his films, but she certainly got all the respect from the people of the industry. They separated amicably without a divorce.
Raakhee has won three Fimfare acting awards and unlike most of the actresses who were beauty queens of the 60s and 70s she continued to act in films up until 2003. She is a true troubadour with over 30 years in the film industry.
With the intensity of her acting that entailed all the versatile roles that came her way, she seems to be the most adored actress of yesteryear.
Social media users are praising Indian actress Tamannaah Bhatia for standing up to a filmmaker's "sexist" comments.
Suraj, the director of her new film Kathi Sandai (The Sword Fight), said "audiences pay money to see heroines in full glamour" and he didn't like to see them "fully clad in a sari".
Bhatia replied that actresses "are here to act" and they "should not at any point be objectified as commodities".
The director has apologised for his remarks about Bhatia.
He had said that people "should expect Tamannaah to look glamorous" because they are "paying money to watch a film".
"Whenever my costume designer presents my heroine in a knee-length outfit, I'd ask him to cut it short. If my heroine gets angry, I'd tell her the audience haven't paid so much for nothing," he said.
Bhatia, who acts both in Bollywood films and regional Tamil cinema, immediately issued a public statement and demanded an apology from the director. "I have been working in the south industry for over 11 years and have worn costumes which I have been comfortable with. It is sad that women in our country are spoken about so frivolously," she said.
Fellow actress Nayanthara also criticised the director.
"How can a responsible person from the film industry make such a crass and cheap comment? At a time when films like Pink and Dangal speak about women empowerment and respect to women, in which era does Suraj belong to?" she said.
Many people have praised the actresses' decision to speak up against such a well-known director. Popular film actresses frequently face sexism, and often on public platforms.
Times of India was criticised in 2014 after it published a photo and tweet about actress Deepika Padukone's cleavage.
"YES! I am a Woman. I have breasts AND a cleavage! You got a problem!!??" she had tweeted in response.
Other actresses have also been subjected to sexist comments and questions in the past.
Parineeti Chopra clashed with a reporter during a film promotion tour in 2014 when he asked her why "when girls are young, they like 'it' and when they get old, they start shouting and screaming that the boy exploited them". A visibly annoyed Chopra asked the reporter what he meant by "it".
"I think this is ridiculous and disrespectful to say to a girl," Chopra told him.
Suraj, the director of her new film Kathi Sandai (The Sword Fight), said "audiences pay money to see heroines in full glamour" and he didn't like to see them "fully clad in a sari".
Bhatia replied that actresses "are here to act" and they "should not at any point be objectified as commodities".
The director has apologised for his remarks about Bhatia.
He had said that people "should expect Tamannaah to look glamorous" because they are "paying money to watch a film".
"Whenever my costume designer presents my heroine in a knee-length outfit, I'd ask him to cut it short. If my heroine gets angry, I'd tell her the audience haven't paid so much for nothing," he said.
Bhatia, who acts both in Bollywood films and regional Tamil cinema, immediately issued a public statement and demanded an apology from the director. "I have been working in the south industry for over 11 years and have worn costumes which I have been comfortable with. It is sad that women in our country are spoken about so frivolously," she said.
Fellow actress Nayanthara also criticised the director.
"How can a responsible person from the film industry make such a crass and cheap comment? At a time when films like Pink and Dangal speak about women empowerment and respect to women, in which era does Suraj belong to?" she said.
Many people have praised the actresses' decision to speak up against such a well-known director. Popular film actresses frequently face sexism, and often on public platforms.
Times of India was criticised in 2014 after it published a photo and tweet about actress Deepika Padukone's cleavage.
"YES! I am a Woman. I have breasts AND a cleavage! You got a problem!!??" she had tweeted in response.
Other actresses have also been subjected to sexist comments and questions in the past.
Parineeti Chopra clashed with a reporter during a film promotion tour in 2014 when he asked her why "when girls are young, they like 'it' and when they get old, they start shouting and screaming that the boy exploited them". A visibly annoyed Chopra asked the reporter what he meant by "it".
"I think this is ridiculous and disrespectful to say to a girl," Chopra told him.
Bollywood sees fresh faces debuting every year. They set out with dreams and hopes to try their luck in the glamorous film industry. And these days, they undergo a lot of preparation and training, so that they can make a mark with their first films. Some are heirs of acclaimed actors and hail from respected film families, and some are completely new to the film industry. The new year seems to be a special one, as many debutantes begin shooting for their new projects and a few look forward to their first releases. Here's a look at some promising new faces, who aim to make a splash in their first year in showbiz.
Ahan Shetty: The son of action star Suniel Shetty and interior designer Mana Shetty, Ahan Shetty will soon begin shooting for his debut project in 2017 produced by Sajid Nadiadwala. The youngster has apparently always aimed to become an actor in Hindi cinema. His debut movie is expected to release in 2018. Ahan is a trained actor and is also training under an action specialist as part of an extensive programme. He will be training for six months in London, UK.
Nidhhi Agerwal: This young actor hails from Bangalore, and will be seen on celluloid in Munna Michael opposite Tiger Shroff. She has already begun shooting for the project, which is being directed by Sabbir Khan, who has directed Heropanti (2014) and Baaghi earlier.
Sara Ali Khan: Sara Ali Khan, daughter of actors Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh, is also gearing up to make her foray into B-Town. Saif has said that Sara has wanted to be an actor since she was two years old, but she finished college because he wanted her to. The aspiring actor has worked in theatre productions in the USA, and, according to Saif, she wants to enjoy acting. The latest rumours say that Sara will make her debut in a Karan Malhotra film, which will be produced by Karan Johar.
Jhanvi Kapoor: Jhanvi Kapoor, the daughter of actor Sridevi and producer Boney Kapoor, has been in the news for her much-awaited debut. The star-kid is said to be launched by film-maker Karan Johar, but there is no confirmation about her first movie yet. It has been rumoured, though, that Jhanvi will be making her debut in the Bollywood remake of hit Marathi film, Sairat.
Anya Singh: Anya Singh is a young actor from Delhi, and she is set to debut in a film produced by film-maker Aditya Chopra. Anya will be seen sharing the frame with newcomer, Aadar Jain. The project will be directed by Habib Faisal.
Ishaan Khattar: Shahid Kapoor’s younger brother, Ishaan Khattar, also harbours acting dreams. There haven’t been any official announcements yet, but rumours suggest that Ishaan will star in the Bollywood remake of the successful Marathi film, Sairat opposite newcomer Jhanvi Kapoor.
Aadar Jain: The grandson of the late actor and film-maker, Raj Kapoor, Aadar has trained at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, USA, and has worked as an assistant director to Karan Johar. The young actor is set to be launched by Aditya Chopra, and the film will be directed by Habib Faisal.
Ahan Shetty: The son of action star Suniel Shetty and interior designer Mana Shetty, Ahan Shetty will soon begin shooting for his debut project in 2017 produced by Sajid Nadiadwala. The youngster has apparently always aimed to become an actor in Hindi cinema. His debut movie is expected to release in 2018. Ahan is a trained actor and is also training under an action specialist as part of an extensive programme. He will be training for six months in London, UK.
Nidhhi Agerwal: This young actor hails from Bangalore, and will be seen on celluloid in Munna Michael opposite Tiger Shroff. She has already begun shooting for the project, which is being directed by Sabbir Khan, who has directed Heropanti (2014) and Baaghi earlier.
Sara Ali Khan: Sara Ali Khan, daughter of actors Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh, is also gearing up to make her foray into B-Town. Saif has said that Sara has wanted to be an actor since she was two years old, but she finished college because he wanted her to. The aspiring actor has worked in theatre productions in the USA, and, according to Saif, she wants to enjoy acting. The latest rumours say that Sara will make her debut in a Karan Malhotra film, which will be produced by Karan Johar.
Jhanvi Kapoor: Jhanvi Kapoor, the daughter of actor Sridevi and producer Boney Kapoor, has been in the news for her much-awaited debut. The star-kid is said to be launched by film-maker Karan Johar, but there is no confirmation about her first movie yet. It has been rumoured, though, that Jhanvi will be making her debut in the Bollywood remake of hit Marathi film, Sairat.
Anya Singh: Anya Singh is a young actor from Delhi, and she is set to debut in a film produced by film-maker Aditya Chopra. Anya will be seen sharing the frame with newcomer, Aadar Jain. The project will be directed by Habib Faisal.
Ishaan Khattar: Shahid Kapoor’s younger brother, Ishaan Khattar, also harbours acting dreams. There haven’t been any official announcements yet, but rumours suggest that Ishaan will star in the Bollywood remake of the successful Marathi film, Sairat opposite newcomer Jhanvi Kapoor.
Aadar Jain: The grandson of the late actor and film-maker, Raj Kapoor, Aadar has trained at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, USA, and has worked as an assistant director to Karan Johar. The young actor is set to be launched by Aditya Chopra, and the film will be directed by Habib Faisal.