Reena Roy – Hit Actress of Bollywood !

Posted by admin on August 28, 2009 under Dignified Beauties | Be the First to Comment

Reena Roy’s career in films started off with a non-starter, B. R. Ishara’s Nayi Duniya Naye Log with another newcomer Danny Denzongpa, but it was shelved temporarily. Undeterred, B. R. Ishara cast both actors again in Zaroorat (1972), along with another newcomer Vijay Arora, and the racy film got her some attention. She was now called the “Zaroorat Girl.” Yet, she struggled for the next four years in B grade films that had feeble scripts and faltering leading men. The bright spot during this period came with her lively performance in Jaise Ko Taisa (1973), and her rain-soaked dance to the song “Ab ke Sawan” with Jeetendra raised temperatures.

She had to wait two more years for another break. At the outset Kalicharan (1975) didn’t seem like it had the makings of a hit. Subhash Ghai, a failed actor, was making his directorial debut, and Shatrughan Sinha, an actor known for his villainous roles, was making his first mark as a hero. But the film defied everyone’s expectations and became a surprise hit.

Photos of Actress Reena Roy

Reena Roy also made several films with Sunil Dutt. The successes of Zakhmee (1975) and Kalicharan led to her star vehicle Nagin (1976). Playing the title role of “female snake with mythological powers”. The film became a huge hit, and Reena received her first Filmfare nomination as Best Actress. She was now one of the top heroines in Hindi films. Inspired by “Nagin”‘s success, director, Rajkumar Kohli, cast Reena again in his next star-studded horror movie, Jaani Dushman (1979). Thereafter, the Kohli-Roy combination continued to give Bollywood cinema some its greatest multi-starrer blockbusters, including Muqabla (1979 film) (1979), Badle Ki Aag (1982), and Raaj Tilak (1984).

Reena Roy-Shatrughan Sinha became a famous team after “Kalicharan,” and had delivered yet another blockbuster thriller, Subhash Ghai’s Vishwanath (1978). But it was Reena’s chemistry with Jeetendra in marital dramas like Badaltey Rishtey (1978) and Pyaasa Sawan (1982) that set her career soaring. The duo produced three of their greatest classics together – Apnapan (1977), Aasha (1980) and Arpan (1983).

Reena Roy’s poignant dance in Aasha to the melody of “Shisha Ho Yah Dil Ho” immortalized her as an icon of desire and tragedy. Her dark-shaded role in Apnapan as the selfish gold-digger who abandons her husband and child and later wanting her son back, won her the Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award, beating out icons Nutan, Asha Parekh, and Rekha in their most memorable roles. (This was the precursor to the type of role that Meryl Streep played two years later in Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)). As legend has it, Reena supposedly rejected the Award on basis that she is the heroine of the film, not the supporting actress! And finally, her screen image as a sacrificing symbol of Indian womanhood is glorified in the very popular, Arpan.

Reena returned to Bollywood in 1992. In a supporting role as a sister-in-law (‘bhabhi’), Aadmi Khilona Hai (1993) greeted the arrival of the mature Reena Roy. Her unhappiness showed in her significant weight gain. And the insignificant roles that were to follow proved even to her die-hard fans that Reena’s film career came to an end. Her last film appearance was in J.P Dutta’s Refugee (2000). She has since turned to acting in television serials, such as “Eena Meena Deeka,” produced by her sister Barkha. After the serial ended, both sisters opened an acting school together in 2004. Reena roy also has campaigned for the Indian National Congress

Reena Roy at Wikipedia