Rakhee - 'don't want to talk about Gulzar' Rakhee - 'don't want to talk about Gulzar'

Her unquestionable talent and what the public see as a tragic personal life have landed Rakhee with an image not unlike the late Meena Kumari's. But, she meets all suggestions of this nature with an astonished smile and a matter of fact, "The image is all wrong".

Claiming to be no more than a practical career-minded woman, Rakhee's incredibly beautiful hazel eyes sparkled as she recalled her personal rags-to-riches story. "I came here for money," she said, "My marriage had just broken up and I was left with literally nothing."

There were difficult times, she was shy, lachrymose and could not speak a word of Hindi. "The tears I shed in that climatic scene in Jeevan Mrityu were real - I was ready to give up." But the success of the film began a new phase in her life.

Later ventures such as Sharmilee and Daag (in which she took all of five minutes to steal the limelight from the vastly more experienced Sharmila Tagore) established her both as one of the better artistes and top box office draws on the Hindi screen.

It was at the height of her acclaim that she decided to re-marry, this time to Gulzar with the avowed intention of forsaking all the glitter of stardom. The marriage seems to have given birth to daughter Boski but little else. A separation followed and it was back to facing the camera in a world full of gossip about her broken marriages. So much so that Rakhee shunned the Press for a long time. "I dislike images that are foisted upon me. And I don't want the details of my personal life twisted so that some gossip rag can sell more copies."

Rakhee is very emphatic about the distinction between her professional and personal life, "I am through with the role I depict the moment I leave the studio." It is then back to Boski in her massive antique-filled bungalow or quiet weekends at her farm. And all she seems to be willing to talk to the Press about is her career; she is non-committal about Gulzar and their breakup. "I don't want to talk about it," was her firm reply.

Surprisingly, the seemingly conventional and traditional Indian woman the public associates with Rakhee on and off screen comes across as being far more liberated than the self-consciously "modern" Zeenat or Parveen, Rakhee defends the rights of women indignantly.

"Why should we be the ones to give up our careers as soon as we get married?" She is amazed about actresses being paid less than the actors in spite of the same amount of work. "It's absolutely ridiculous!" In retrospect, Rakhee reluctantly admitted to missing her work while she was just Gulzar's wife, "My life lost its focus and direction. I am not the type to sit around."

Rakhee - the remote queen Rakhee - the remote queen

Taking her career seriously Rakhee is very professional when it comes to work. Yash Chopra marvels at her punctuality and the fact that she never misses shooting dates. He easily rates her as the best actress enthusiastically recalling his first encounter with her. Rakhee had been shooting forand he had been bowled over both by her looks and talent.

"I was determined to sign her up then and there." He achieved this when she starred in his recent box office hit Kabhi Kabhie living up to all his expectations. As for her famed moods, Chopra retorts, "So what if she throws tantrums? All Bengali women do and she is professional enough to make sure that it does not interfere with her work." Her male co-stars though more wary of these "moods" openly acknowledge her talent.

Shashi Kapoor states that she makes him "a bit nervous, she's so good," and Amitabh Bachchan feels that "there are very few like her." On the other hand the female stars are slightly more guarded. Sharmila Tagore feels the success of Rakhee is due to her by "being rather lucky and getting the right roles to suit her."

Rakhee is quick to credit herself with complete involvement with her work. "Nothing upsets me more than the present disorganized working system of the film industry. It is annoying to wait hours for my co-star to turn up." Her recent choice of films show a gradual shift in priority.

Just as she did Avtar Raul's low-budget 27 Down for free (on the advice of the then FFC Chairman - B.K. Karanjia), she signed up for Tapasya - another low-budget venture. "Of course now that the film is a success, nobody remembers that it was low-budget film to begin with," she said a little ruefully, "I've had money, fame, everything... another car means nothing any longer! What I want to do now is to act - and act only in films that offer me the scope to give a good performance."

She justified some of her recent contracts by arguing that there were so few good roles around that she had to accept at least some of the usual stereotyped parts. "But," she added, a shade ominously, "I want to be remembered as a great actress."

And yet, despite Rakhee's engaging openness and her refreshingly unspoilt view of films and the star system, one is left with the nagging suspicion that something somewhere does not seem right. Almost everyone agrees that Rakhee remains an enigma and that nobody can really understand her. This seems to be an image she revels in.

Her professed disdain for the airs and graces of stardom and her carefully cultivated detachment from the film world place her on a pedestal from which she exudes the enigmatic aloofness of the true superstar. And all her so-called detachment collapses once someone touches a raw nerve - a single question about Gulzar or the casting couch is enough to have her snapping at you.

"I have nothing in common with Meena Kumari," she insisted, "I am only an actress." She displays no desire to be known as a "tragic star" or to project the pathos of her personal life on the screen. But this is not to say that she wishes to become some kind of female counterpart to Sanjeev Kumar with no image to back up all the talent. Instead she seems not unlike Greta Garbo - the distant and remote queen of films.