When Rakhee was warned for playing Amitabh Bachchan’s mother in Shakti: ‘I said to hell with my career’

Veteran actor Rakhee Gulzar had once spoken about her response when she was warned about her career choices after she agreed to play Amitabh Bachchan’s mother and Dilip Kumar’s wife in Shakti. In a 2019 interview, Rakhee opened up about the time she chose to work with the duo.

Shakti, released in 1982, was a crime drama film. In the film, late actor Dilip Kumar played DCP Ashwini Kumar while Rakhee Gulzar was cast as Ashwini’s wife Sheetal Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan as their son, Vijay Kumar. 

Speaking with the Scroll.in, Rakhee had said in 2019, “People told me my career was doomed–I said to hell with my career, here is a chance to act with Dilip Kumar. It was a pleasure to work with him, and then there was the lamboo (tall guy).” She referred to Amitabh as the ‘tall guy.’

She had also spoken on starring with Amitabh, as the lead romantic pair, in the same year in Bemisal. “If I have to praise myself and give myself some credit, it is for the fact that there was Shakti on the one side and Bemisal on the other, and I didn’t mix them up, nor did Amitabh, for that matter,” Rakhee had said.

Shakti was directed by Ramesh Sippy, written by the Salim-Javed, and produced by Mushir-Riaz. The film also featured Smita Patil, Kulbhushan Kharbanda and Amrish Puri. The movie won four Filmfare Awards–Best Film, Best Screenplay, Best Sound Editing, and Best Actor for Dilip Kumar.

Bemisal was directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee and produced by Debesh Gosh. The film also features Vinod Mehra, Deven Verma, Aruna Irani, Om Shivpuri, AK Hangal, among others.

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Rakhee made her debut at the age of 20 in the Bengali movie Bodhu Boron (1967). She has worked in many films including Jeevan Mrityu, Lal Patthar, Sharmeelee, Reshma Aur Shera, Daag, Blackmail, Kabhie Kabhi, Trishul, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Kaala Patthar, Ram Lakhan, Rudaali, Karan Arjun, Baadshah, among many others.