This week when her daughter Meghna Gulzar’s Sam Bahadur opened in theatres, Raakhee Gulzar has decided to return to acting.

Speaking exclusively to Subhash K Jha, Raakheedi says, “I am doing another Bengali film after five years. If you remember I had done a Bengali film Mukti in 2018. Normally I’d say no to any acting offer, no matter how tempting. But when the director of Mukti had told me that he was doing a screen adaptation of Moti Nandy’s classic novel Bijolibalar Mukti I agreed to make an exception.”

“It was a very topical subject. It touched on communal and caste issues and also on the rights and privileges of a 70-year-old Brahmin widow.”

IMAGE: Raakhee in Sharmeelee.

Now, Raakheedi returns to Bangla cinema with Amar Boss, directed by Nandita Roy and Shiboprosad Mukherjee.

Says the serene actress, “Given a choice, I would rather be away from the public eye comfortably ensconced in my farmhouse. But the co-directors Nandita and Shibo were adamant and I liked the script. We are likely to start shooting in January.”

Should we consider this a new beginning in Raakheedi‘s career?

“Nothing like that. I was always a reluctant actress. I still am,” her laughter reverberates in the air.

IMAGE: Raakhee Gulzar at Neena Singh’s art exhibition in 2012. Photograph: Kind courtesy Wikimedia commons

Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com