One of the most charismatic actresses and superbly accomplished dancers of Hindi films Reena Roy, mesmerised the audience in the 1970s and 80s with her charm, beauty, and acting prowess in films like Kalicharan, Nagin, Jani Dushman, Apnapan, Naseeb, Aasha, Arpan, Sanam Teri Kasam, and many more.
Early Life
Reena Roy (Saira Ali) was born on 7 January 1957 in Bombay. Her father, Sadiq Ali, and mother, Sharda Rai, were also actors. After the divorce of her parents, Sharda Rai changed her name to Roopa Rai, which was changed to “Reena Roy” by the producer of her first film, B.R. Ishara. Her first film was Zaroorat (1972) at the age of 14 years. Initially, she was signed by Ishara for “Nayi Duniya Naye Log (1973),” which could not be released on time.
Debut and Breakthrough
Reena Roy’s debut film, “Zaroorat (1972),” also starring Vijay Arora and Danny Denzongpa and directed by B.R. Ishara, was a bold and unconventional film for its time. Her performance in the film earned her the nickname “Zaroorat Girl.” Her early films, such as Jungle Mein Mangal (1972), Madhosh (1974), Goonj (1974), Umar Qaid (1975), and Rani Aur Lalpari (1975), did moderately well.
Roy’s big break came with “Jaise Ko Taisa (1973),” opposite Jeetendra. The song “Abke Sawan,” which featured a dance in the rain, went on to become quite popular. In 1975 she starred with Sunil Dutt, Asha Parekh, and Rakesh Roshan in Zakhmee, which has memorable songs like “Jalta Hai Jiya Mera Bheegi Bheegi Raaton Mein” and “Nothing Is Impossible.”
In 1976, she worked in Subhash Ghai’s directorial debut, “Kalicharan,” starring Shatrughan Sinha opposite her. The film was a surprise hit and gave her the much-needed break. Her dance number from the film “Ja Re Ja O Harjaee” was quite a rage in its time and still is. Ghai recast the successful pair of Sinha and Roy in “Vishwanath,” which proved to be a blockbuster.
Reena Roy The Superstar
In 1976 she starred in Rajkumar Kohli’s Nagin (1976) with Sunil Dutt, Jeetendra, Feeroz Khan, Rekha, and Mumtaz. Analysing the film, writer Meheli Sen commented, “Reena Roy as the nagin is unabashed in her sexuality; she embodies a kind of feral sexuality that remains remarkable in its directness.” Nagin became the highest-grossing film of the year and established Reena as one of the top actresses.
Although Reena Roy and Shatrugan Sinha first worked in BR Ishara’s Milap (1972), they became a famous team after the super success of Kalicharan and Vishwanath. They went on to do 17 movies together, which included hits like Sangram (1976), Chor Ho To Aisa (1978), Bhookh (1978), Jaani Dushman (1979), Heera-Moti (1979), Jwalamukhi (1980), Be-Reham (1980), Haathkadi (1982), Muqabla (1979), Naseeb (1981), Maati Maangey Khoon (1984), and many more.
She worked with Jeetendra in 22 films and gave several hits and super hits, including Badaltey Rishte (1978), Pyaasa Sawan (1981), Jeeo Aur Jeene Do (1982), and Dharam Kanta (1982). J Om Prakash cast them in his triology Apnapan (1977), Aasha (1980), and Arpan (1983). In these three films, Reena Roy was cast in her most challanging roles. She won critical appreciation, and immense love form the audience.
Other Work
Reena Roy won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in “Apnapan (1977).” Her portrayal of a selfish gold digger who abandons her husband and child was both powerful and memorable.
One of her most memorable performances came in “Aasha (1980),” which was major hit. Despite having a smaller role, she stole the limelight. Her dance to the song “Shisha Ho Yah Dil Ho” became iconic.
In the romantic drama “Arpan (1983),” Reena Roy delivered a poignant performance as a girl who sacrificed her love, happiness, and life for her family and loved ones. The film’s emotional depth and her chemistry with Jeetendra were widely appreciated.
She proved herself to be a versatile actress with different films that included Badle Ki Aag (1982), Ladies Tailor (1981), Rocky (1981), Dhanwan (1981), Lakshmi (1982), Bezubaan (1982), Sanam Teri Kasam (1982), Raaj Tilak (1984), Asha Jyoti (1984), and Ghulami (1985).
Personal Life
Reena Roy’s personal life has been as eventful as her career. The tabliods were full of the reports of her romantic rerationship with actor Shatrughan Sinha. In 1983, Reena Roy decided to quit films and married Pakistani cricketer Mohsin Khan. They don’t live together for long, and take mutual divorce. Reena has a daughter named Jannat (later renamed Sanam).
She made her comeback in films with Aadmi Khilona Hai (1993) and did a couple of films thereafter. Her last appearance was in the film Refugee (2000).
Reena Roy on IMDB
