Raakhee’s
‘Double’ Trouble! STARDUST 1983
The ‘Man’ Who Makes Her Unpredictable!
“I think like a man and feel like a woman!” Raakhee Gulzar had made the above statement nearly five years ago, but it has stayed in my mind ever since. I was impressed, rather intrigued, and spent quite a bit of time and thought on it over the years. Initially, it had sounded downright contradictory; later, it denoted a constraint mind-vs-heart conflict within the actress; only recently, have the words acquired substance and begun to ring true … at least as pertaining to Raakhee’s life, if not to yours or mine!
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ust see the way she has managed to establish each and every member of her family on his/her own feet, for instance. Like with every other heroine, Raakhee’s people expected, even took it for granted that she would look after them when they piled on to her one by one from their home in Calcutta. But the daughter didn’t get over-emotional about her ‘duty’ and sacrifice her whole life (desire for marriage, children, etc.) for their survival. Nor did she cold-bloodedly take them in as parasitic poor relations, or worse, disown them completely. In her role of provider, Raakhee supplied the capital, set them up in business, but made sure they worked on their own steam to earn every penny after that! She bought a farm on the outskirts of Bombay, named it after her mother and gifted it to her parents, where the latter grow vegetables and market them. She launched one brother (Shibranjan Majumdar) as a producer with ‘Taaqat’ and when the youngest showed no inclination to find a job for himself, big sister brought him into the trade too. Quite the ‘man’ of the house – though the woman still comes to the fore when any of the above are in trouble and ‘please didi please didi’, Raakhee into shelling out a lot of dough, influence, etc., on their behalf. The dual personality was very apparent even when I visited her last month. As Raakhee
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sat curled up in an armchair opposite me, I was reminded of a beautiful Persian cat, licking her whiskers warily, yet at the same time, ready to meeoow and pounce if I came too close. I was wondering how to break the ice when Baby Bosky breezed in from school and ran straight into her mother’s arms. The two exchanged a hundred kisses, and the atmosphere automatically lightened with their typical ma-beti kootchie-kooing… Sensing her mother’s momentary vulnerability, Bosky, the smart kid that she is, tried to coax her permission to bunk piano lessons that day. As indulgently, Mama refused and stuck by it with growing firmness when the child became more petulant and cribbing. The matter was finally settled when Raakhee unwrapped a beautiful volume on classical dancing and offered it to the child as a present in return for her attendance. Bosky squealed in delight, hugged the book and ran off to change for her class… Left alone, Raakhee turned sheepishly towards me and said simply, “I feel very guilty when I tempt Bosky with presents. It’s almost like blackmailing a child. But what to do, there’s no other alternative.” The concern was typical of any mother who believes in not sparing the rod and spoiling the child. Raakhee went on to talk about the
