Personal life and education
Raakhee (born August 15, 1947) originally from the state of West Bengal. While still a teenager, Raakhee had an arranged marriage to Bengali film director Ajay Biswas, which ended shortly and unhappily thereafter. She also married film director, poet and lyricist, Gulzar. She has separated from Gulzar but never divorced him. She has a daughter called Meghna (Bosky) who has directed a few films like Filhaal, Just Married and Dus Kahaniyaan.
Career
Raakhee won rave reviews for her first Bengali film Badhu Baran 1967 in Calcutta after which she was offered the lead role in her first Hindi film, Rajshri Productions Jeevan Mrityu with Dharmendra in 1970.
She shot to fame in the 1971 film Sharmilee where she played a double role opposite Shashi Kapoor. Consequently she established herself as a popular and major Hindi heroine acting with the best co-stars and directors, in several blockbuster films like Heera Panna (1973), Daag (1973), Blackmail (1973) and Tapasya (1976) . To her great advantage she formed an extremley popular romantic screen team with the reigning king of Bollywood Amitabh Bachchan. They went on to star in no less than nine hit films; Kabhie Kabhie (1976), Muqaddar Ka Sikander (1977), Kasme Vaade (1978), Trishul (1978), Kaala Patthar (1979), Jurmana (1979), Barsaat Ki Ek Raat (1981), Lawaaris (1981) and Bemisal (1982). With her main focus on good roles rather than star status, Raakhee raised eyebrows when she did not hesitate to play Amithab's elder sister-in-law in Shaan(1980) and even his mother in the film Shakti (1982), when their romantic pairing was still at the height of its popularity. She also acted in other Bengali films such as Paroma (1984) to great acclaim.
Towards the mid 1980s and 1990s she played elderly mother or supporting roles in films such as Ram Lakhan (1989), Baazigar (1993), Khalnayak (1993), Karan Arjun (1995), Border (1997), Soldier (1998) and Baadshah (1999).
Her last film was Shubho Mahurat in 2003 for which she won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress and she has since retired from the film industry.
Awards and nominations
Raakhee (born August 15, 1947) originally from the state of West Bengal. While still a teenager, Raakhee had an arranged marriage to Bengali film director Ajay Biswas, which ended shortly and unhappily thereafter. She also married film director, poet and lyricist, Gulzar. She has separated from Gulzar but never divorced him. She has a daughter called Meghna (Bosky) who has directed a few films like Filhaal, Just Married and Dus Kahaniyaan.
Career
Raakhee won rave reviews for her first Bengali film Badhu Baran 1967 in Calcutta after which she was offered the lead role in her first Hindi film, Rajshri Productions Jeevan Mrityu with Dharmendra in 1970.
She shot to fame in the 1971 film Sharmilee where she played a double role opposite Shashi Kapoor. Consequently she established herself as a popular and major Hindi heroine acting with the best co-stars and directors, in several blockbuster films like Heera Panna (1973), Daag (1973), Blackmail (1973) and Tapasya (1976) . To her great advantage she formed an extremley popular romantic screen team with the reigning king of Bollywood Amitabh Bachchan. They went on to star in no less than nine hit films; Kabhie Kabhie (1976), Muqaddar Ka Sikander (1977), Kasme Vaade (1978), Trishul (1978), Kaala Patthar (1979), Jurmana (1979), Barsaat Ki Ek Raat (1981), Lawaaris (1981) and Bemisal (1982). With her main focus on good roles rather than star status, Raakhee raised eyebrows when she did not hesitate to play Amithab's elder sister-in-law in Shaan(1980) and even his mother in the film Shakti (1982), when their romantic pairing was still at the height of its popularity. She also acted in other Bengali films such as Paroma (1984) to great acclaim.
Towards the mid 1980s and 1990s she played elderly mother or supporting roles in films such as Ram Lakhan (1989), Baazigar (1993), Khalnayak (1993), Karan Arjun (1995), Border (1997), Soldier (1998) and Baadshah (1999).
Her last film was Shubho Mahurat in 2003 for which she won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress and she has since retired from the film industry.
Awards and nominations
- Won
- 1973 - Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award for Daag: A Poem of Love
- 1976 - Filmfare Best Actress Award for Tapasya
- 1989 - Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award for Ram Lakhan
- 2003 - National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for the Bengali film Shubho Mahurat
- 2003 - Padma Shri Award
- Nominated
- 1972 - Filmfare Nomination as Best Actress for Aankhon Aankhon Mein
- 1976 - Filmfare Nomination as Best Actress for Kabhie Kabhie
- 1977 - Filmfare Nomination as Best Actress for Doosra Aadmi
- 1977 - Filmfare Nomination as Best Supporting Actress for Doosra Aadmi
- 1978 - Filmfare Nomination as Best Actress for Trishna
- 1979 - Filmfare Nomination as Best Actress for Jurmana
- 1981 - Filmfare Nomination as Best Actress for Baseraa
- 1985 - Filmfare Nomination as Best Actress for Saaheb
- 1993 - Filmfare Nomination as Best Supporting Actress for Anari
- 1995 - Filmfare Nomination as Best Supporting Actress for Karan Arjun
- 1997 - Filmfare Nomination as Best Supporting Actress for Border
- 1998 - Filmfare Nomination as Best Supporting Actress for Soldier
Filmography
Year Film
1967
Badhu Bharan
1968
Baghini
1970
Jeevan Mrityu
1971
Sharmilee
Reshma Aur Shera
Paaras
Lal Patthar
1972
Pagli
Wafaa
Shehzada
Yaar
Mera
Shaadi Ke Baad
Janwar Aur Insaan
Beimaan
Anokhi Pehchaan
Aan Baan
Aankhon Aankhon Mein
1973
Heera Panna
Daag
Blackmail
Banarasi Babu
Joshila
1974
27 Down
1975
Chameli Memsaab
Mere Sajna
Angaarey
1976
Tapasya
Kabhi Kabhie
1977
Doosara Aadmi
1978
Trishna
Kasme Vaade
Trishul
Muqaddar Ka Sikandar
1979
Hamare Tumhare
Jurmana
Kaala Patthar
1980
Lootmaar
Aanchal
Shaan
1981
Rocky
Laawaris
Dhuaan
Barsaat Ki Ek Raat
Anusandhan
Baseraa
Shradhanjali
1982
Yeh Vaada Raha
Taaqat
Shriman Shrimati
Bemisal
Dil Aakhir Dil Hai
Shakti
1983
Bandhan Kachche Dhaagon Ka
1984
Zindagi Jeene Ke Liye
Paroma
Anand Aur Anand
Zameen Aasmaan
1985
Saaheb
1986
Zindagani
1987
Muqaddar Ka Faisla
Dacait
1988
Gold Medal
Falak
Ram Lakhan
1989
Santosh
Jeevan Ek Sangharsh
1991
Saugandh
Pratikar
1993
Rudaali
Pratimurti
Khal Nayak
Kshatriya
Dil Ki Baazi
Anari
Baazigar
1995
Karan Arjun
Kismat
1997
Border
Jeevan Yudh
Ankhon Mein Tum Ho
1998
Sham Ghansham
Barood
Soldier
1999
Baadshah
2001
Ek Rishtaa
2003
Talaash
Dil Ka Rishta
Shubho Mahurat
2009
Classmates
