The incandescent Raakhee Gulzar did more films with Amitabh Bachchan than any other leading lady in his heydays. Now in complete retirement, she has only warm wishes for one of her favourite co-stars. “Is Amit really 80? How time flies! It seems like only yesterday when we were in Kashmir shooting for Kabhi Kabhie," she says.
Raakheeji remembers each one of their films together. She reveals, “We did innumerable films together. The first was Sunil Dutt’s Reshma Aur Shera and the last was Suneel Darshan’s Ek Rishta. During shooting I shared a unique bond with him. We were supporting actors in Sunil Dutt Saab’s Reshma Aur Shera. I know the fun side of Amitabh which he keeps hidden from public view. He is a very funny guy, plays pranks and does a lot of masti. I have known him since we were both newcomers in Reshma Aur Shera. We had a great time shooting together in Rajasthan. Amit, Ranjeet (villain) and I were the terrible trio. The two used to scare people wearing monster masks and hide KN Singh's beer bottles while he muttered expletives in the desert. During shooting there was an unspoken bond with him.”
She admits their bonding was special. “I admired Dilip Kumar and Rajesh Khanna as actors. But the kind of bonding I shared with Amitabh is unique to my career. I don’t know what it was because to this day I don’t know what acting is. We did more confrontational than romantic films together. Amitabh would rehearse his scenes secretly. That’s because he was perpetually playing characters with personality traits that he did not possess. He played the Angry Young Man. But in real life, losing his temper was alien to him. On the other hand I am very short-tempered and do angry roles easily. But if I was asked to sing, dance and do romantic scenes I was petrified.”
The Raakhee-Bachchan jodi’s most special film was Yash Chopra’s Kabhi Kabhie. Raakhee recalls, “I agreed to do the film even after marriage. When we started shooting for Kabhi Kabhie I had to do intensely romantic scenes with Amitabh. That was a problem, since Amitabh and Jaya called me ‘Bahurani’. So Kabhi Kabhie started on a note of conflict for me. The first day of shooting when Amitabh had to sing Sahir’s romantic line Kabhi kabhi mere dil mein khayaal aata hai to me while I had my hair in his lap. I felt so awkward. Amit helped me to get over the awkwardness.”
After Kabhi Kabhie, Raakhee and Amitabh Bachchan did three blockbusters together Kasme Vaade, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar followed by the back-to-back Hrishikesh Mukherjee semi-hits Jurmana and Bemisal.
Their last film together was Suneel Darshan's Ek Rishta: Bond Of Love in 2001. Recalls Raakheeji, “We share a very special bond. When we were paired in Suneel Darshan's Ek Rishta: The Bond Of Love, it seemed like we had broken off shooting two days ago instead of 17 years earlier. We resumed shooting as if we had shot our last film together just yesterday. We didn't even realise how time flew by. I vibe very well with Amit. I guess we share a chemistry, like Kajol and Shah Rukh Khan. Amit is very articulate and methodical. I only know the basics of acting. I just memorise my dialogues and do whatever comes to my mind when the camera is on. I think acting should be a mixture of preparation and spontaneity. Amit has that combination in his performances.”
Although they belonged to two different schools of acting they nonetheless vibed perfectly on screen. “I know his method before the camera. Likewise, I knew what Dilip saab would do in Shakti and I would prepare myself accordingly. One problem with me was my language. I am not very good with Hindi grammar. But all my problems were effortlessly sorted out when Amit and I worked together. He knew what I would do before the camera and vice versa. And that is it. There would be no problem after that. Amit and I are not fussy about our looks and best profiles before the camera. All actors are conscious of how to recite dialogues and in what way. But all Amit and I were bothered with is the measurement of the camera movement. That helped our performances.”
Another bond between Bachchan and his best heroine? “Do you know, we both got Filmfare Awards for Best Performance in a parallel role in the same year? He got it for Namak Haraam and I got it for Daag. We used to call it the award for the pyarelal role (laughs). Anyway that year we both shared the Filmfare platform. After that he went his own way. I went mine, only to return in Kabhi Kabhie with Amit. We both share common traits like self-discipline and a reserved nature. We both don't bother with what others are doing. We both are directors' artistes. All the directors from Sunil Dutt to Suneel Darshan whom we have worked with have been very capable men."
She add, "Don't forget, this is a male-oriented film industry. I have actually done just four films that revolve completely around me -- Tapasya, Shraddhanjali, Humkadam and Akshay Kumar's debut film Saugandh. To my good fortune, they worked well. If you have noticed, I never did a faltu role in any of my films with Amitabh Bachchan. In fact, Yash Chopra claimed that my role of Pooja in Kabhi Kabhie was written especially for me. The song Kabhi kabhi mere dil mein was written by Sahir Ludhianvi only for me. I don't know how far it is true. I remember we had a party on the evening that the songs were recorded. All of us -- Amit, Jaya, Yash and me -- we used to meet at Yash Chopra's house. Yes, we had some good times together. Do you know, Amit speaks only in Bengali with me?”