How Rakhi Gulzar Balanced Motherhood, Awards and Marital Strife

Born in Ranaghat, West Bengal, Rakhi Gulzar entered the film world at a young age and quickly rose to fame. After an early marriage that ended in divorce, she launched her acting career with the Bengali picture "Badhur Bhron" (1967) and soon after appeared in the Hindi film "Jeevan Mrityu" (1970) alongside Dharmendra. The 1970s were a prolific period, highlighted by the double‑role success "Sharmili" (1971) and a series of box‑office hits including "Lal Patthar", "Paras", "Daag", "Kabhi Kabhi", "Trishul" and "Kasme Vaade". Her on‑screen pairing with Shashi Kapoor became a fan favourite. In 1973 she married lyricist‑director Gulzar, and the couple welcomed daughter Meghna the same year. While Gulzar encouraged her to step away from the limelight, Rakhi wished to continue acting, leading to friction that was amplified by a reported clash during the shooting of "Aandhi" in Kashmir. Despite these personal challenges, she delivered memorable performances as a mother and strong woman in films such as "Ram Lakhan", "Baazigar", "Khalnayak", "Karan Arjun", "Border", "Soldier" and "Ek Rishta". Her work earned her the Filmfare Best Supporting Actress award for "Ram Lakhan" (1990), additional Filmfare honors for "Tapasya" and "Daag", a National Award for the Bengali film "Shubho Muhurto" (2003), and the prestigious Padma Shri the same year.