Rakhee is a leading actress of the Indian cinema and the wife of the lyricist-director Gulzar, most remembered for her performances in Jeevan Mrityu (1970), Reshma Aur Shera (1972), Heera Panna (1973) and Kabhi Kabhi (1976). Born on the day of India’s Independence in the Nadia district of West Bengal, Rakhee Mazumdar was married to a Bengali director Ajoy Biswas during her teenage years but they soon separated.

She began her career with a Bengali film titled Badhu Bharan (1967) and soon after was signed for Jeevan Mrityu (1970), her first Hindi film opposite Dharmendra. The film was an instant success. With the song “Jhil mil sitaron ka aangan hoga” it also gained much popularity. With her refined acting and a penchant for intense roles, Rakhee was next seen in a double role opposite Shashi Kapoor in Sharmeelee (1971).

The film did great business at the box-office and the pair gave several hits including Jaanwar Aur Insaan (1972), Kabhi Kabhi (1976), Trishna (1978), Baseraa (1981), Zameen Aasmaan (1984), Phighalta Aasmaan (1985) and Doosra Aadmi (1977). She was the second highest paid actress of the 70s and some of the remarkable films she did include Paras (1971) and Shriman Shrimati (1982) with Sanjeev Kumar and Laal Patthar (1971) co-starring Hema Malini and Raaj Kumar.

Rakhee had three hits with Dev Anand including Heera Panna (1973), Banarasi Babu (1973) and Lootmaar (1980). Rakhee also worked with superstar Rajesh Khanna in box office hits Shehzada (1972), Daag: A Poem of Love (1973) and Aanchal (1980).

Rather than stardom, Rakhee looked for films with substance and acted in several critically acclaimed films including Blackmail (1973), 27 Down (1974), Tapasya (1976), Shradhanjali (1982), Dil…Akhir Dil Hai (1982) and the Bengali film Paroma (1984).

Rakhee also worked with Amitabh Bachchan in several films including classics like Kabhi Kabhi (1976), Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978), Kasme Vaade (1978), Trishul (1978) and Kaala Patthar (1979).

Rakhee has had a prolific career spanning more than three decades and has acted in more than 100 films. During the later years of her career she started taking up the roles of an elderly mother in films such as Ram Lakhan (1989), Baazigar (1993), Karan Arjun (1995) and Border (1997). Rakhee was last seen in Rituparno Ghosh’s Bengali film Shubho Mahurat (2003) and the Hindi film Talaash – The Hunt Begins (2003). She lives in her farmhouse in the Panvel area on the outskirts of Bombay and has retired from acting.