Often considered one of the most beautiful actresses of all time, Bina Rai was the heartbeat of many in the 1950s and 1960s. With her films like “Anarkali” (1953), “Ghunghat” (1960), and “Taj Mahal” (1963), she made a special place in the industry.
Bina Rai was born Krishna Sarin on July 13, 1931, in Lahore. She got her early education in Lahore before her father, who was in the railways, moved to Delhi and then to Lucknow, where she attended the Isabella Thoburn College in Lucknow. where she was actively involved in college dramas. While in college, she applied for a talent contest in Bomaby. She won the contest with the top prize of 25,000 and a film role in Kishore Sahu’s “Kali Ghata (1951).”
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On the release day of “Kali Ghata,” she gets engaged to actor “Premnath” and gets married on September 2, 1952. Her most iconic role as Anarkali came in the 1953 historical drama ‘Anarkali’ opposite Pradeep Kumar. The film, based on the Urdu play “Imtiyaz Ali Taj,” is about a legendary love story between a courtesan and Prince Salim. Rai was praised for her portrayal of a tragic heroine with grace and poignancy.
Bina Rai and husband Prem Nath shared the screen in several films, starting with “Aurat (1953),” a Bollywood adaptation of the Biblical tale of Samson and Delilah. Following this, the couple established their own production unit, P.N. Films. Their first venture under this banner was “Shagufa (1953),” which also did not meet commercial expectations. Despite the setback, they continued to work together in hopes of cinematic success.
Other films produced by P.N. Films included “Prisoner of Golconda (1954),” “Samunder (1957),” and “Hamara Watan (1957). Unfortunately, these films too failed to resonate with audiences and did not achieve commercial success. The pairing of Bina Rai and Prem Nath, despite their individual popularity, never quite clicked with the audience in the way they had hoped.
Bina, on the other hand, continued to act in films like “Gauhar (1953),” and Pyas with Rehman, Shole (1953),” “Sardar (1955),” “Talash (1957) with Ashok Kumar, “Meenar (1953),” “Chandrakanta,” “Mera Salaam (1957), with Bharat Bhushan, “Insaniyat (1955)” with Dilip Kumar and Dev Anand, Hill Station, Durgesh Nandini with Pradeep Kumar, “Marine Drive (1955)” with Ajit, and “Madh Bhare Nain (1955)” and “Bandi (1957)” with Kishore Kumar.
In 1957, she starred in the historical epic “Chenghiz Khan” with Premnath and Sheikh Mukhtar, which was a big hit. She then appeared in Ramanand Sagar’s social drama “Ghunghat (1960),” with Bharat Bhushan and Pradeep Kumar. Rai won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film. “Ghunghat” is often cited as one of her finest works, demonstrating her versatility and range as an actress.
The 1963 epic “Taj Mahal,” where Rai played the role of Empress Mumtaz Mahal opposite Pradeep Kumar, who played Shah Jehan, The film narrates the story behind the construction of the Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and Rai’s performance as the empress for whom the monument was built was both majestic and moving. Some of her last few films were “Daadi Maa (1966),” “Ram Rajya (1967),” and “Apna Ghar Apni Kahani (1968).”
On a personal front, Bina Rai and her husband were blessed with two sons, Prem Kishen and Kailash Nath. Prem Kishen followed in his parents’ footsteps, becoming an actor and later a producer, contributing to the legacy of his illustrious mother.”
Bina Rai passed away on December 6, 2009, marking the end of an era.
