You will be amazed to know the controversial off-screen life of this on-screen mother

Rakhee Gulzar

Rakhee Gulzar was born in a Bengali speaking family in West Bengal on India's Independence Day - 15th August, 1947.

Rakhee Gulzar

Her family faced many tough times, her father had a flourishing shoe business in his native village in East Bengal, modern-day Bangladesh, before the partition of India and thereafter he settled in West Bengal. In an interview, she said, "The situation was not very encouraging for refugees like us. The only thing I remember is my father tuning in to the radio every day. He used to do it religiously and I did the same too."

Rakhee Gulzar

During her teen years, Rakhee was married to Bengali journalist/film director Ajoy Biswas, but the marriage was short-lived, and the couple divorced. She said, "When I married Ajay, I did not know the meaning of marriage or love," she recalls. "I just knew that all girls got married and I had to do the same. It was an arranged marriage and it was doomed from the beginning."

Rakhee Gulzar

Later, Rakhee got married to film director, poet and lyricist Sampoorna Singh Gulzar. The couple have a daughter, Meghna Gulzar who is a film director and has directed movies like Filhaal, Just Married, Dus Kahaniyaan and Talvar.

Rakhee Gulzar

Later she appeared in many movies and has acted in a total of approximately 91 movies, in a career that spanned from 1967 through to 2003.

Rakhee Gulzar

Her last film was 'Shubho Mahurat' in 2003, for which she won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress. She has since retired from the film industry.

Rakhee Gulzar

Rakhee became an alcoholic and for a time drank heavily. During this mid-career period Rakhee excelled in dramatic roles and was compared to the 'queen of tragedy' Meena Kumari. This comparison rankled Rakhee to no end and must have caused her great angst as Rakhee was a great dramatic actress in her own right.