Early work and breakthrough (1967–1975) In 1967, the 20-year-old Raakhee acted in her first Bengali film
Bodhu Boron and
Baghini, after which she was offered the lead role in
Rajshri Productions' successful crime thriller
Jeevan Mrityu (1970) opposite
Dharmendra. Raakhee played a triple role opposite
Shashi Kapoor in the musical romance
Sharmeelee, and also starred in the dramas
Lal Patthar and
Paras; all three films emerged as commercial successes and she quickly established herself as a leading actress of
Hindi Cinema.
Shehzada (1972) opposite Rajesh Khanna and
Aankhon Aankhon Mein (1972) opposite a relative newcomer
Rakesh Roshan showcased her comic abilities, though their box office returns was unsatisfactory. In 1973, she continued to display versatility even in relatively small roles in the romances
Heera Panna and
Daag: A Poem of Love, with her strong performances, earning her first
Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for the latter. In 1974, Raakhee won a Special Souvenir prize at the
National Film Awards for
27 Down.
The Telegraph commended her "nuanced take on an independent working woman who has more steel in her than the film’s flawed protagonist – truly a break from the synthetic women in films of the era".
Widespread success and critical acclaim (1976–1984) In 1976, Raakhee's career peaked after starring in two movies that garnered her widespread acclaim. The first was
Yash Chopra's
Kabhi Kabhie, for which she earned her second
Filmfare Award for Best Actress nomination. The film had been written with Raakhee in mind, and she had agreed to do it during the making of
Daag. Citing her as having "one of the most gorgeous faces to have been seen on the Hindi screen",
Filmfare magazine retrospectively called it "a perfect ode to her exquisiteness: Her wine eyes, a prism of myriad emotions. Her poignant voice holding back the surging sadness. She played the beautiful muse, whose parting leaves poet
Amitabh Bachchan devastated. [The film] threw open a second innings for the actress who then went on to star in blockbusters that left critics overwhelmed and art house actors envious. From initially being compared to actress
Nimmi, given her hazel eyes, and later to
Meena Kumari, given her proclivity towards the tragic, Raakhee cut through it all to stand apart". The phenomenal success of
Rajshri Productions'
Tapasya (1976), a heroine-dominated drama, established Raakhee as a box-office name to reckon with. Starring opposite
Asrani and
Parikshit Sahni, her portrayal of a family breadwinner who sacrifices her dreams and ambitions for the future of her younger siblings, earned Raakhee her first and only
Filmfare Award for Best Actress.
The Hindu acknowledged her role as a "calculated risk", which required her to be shown in a "mature, somewhat middle aged role", and praised her "amazing restraint and conviction" in it. She later described the film as "one of the most important films of my career" and regards her performances in
Blackmail (1973),
Tapasya and
Aanchal (1980) as her best. Raakhee starred with
Dev Anand in
Heera Panna,
Banarasi Babu (1973),
Joshila (1973) and
Lootmaar (1980). She starred opposite Shashi Kapoor in 10 released films:
Sharmeelee,
Jaanwar Aur Insaan (1972),
Kabhie Kabhie (1976),
Doosra Aadmi (1977), the critically acclaimed
Trishna (1978),
Baseraa (1981), (1983),
Zameen Aasmaan (1984), and
Pighalta Aasman (1985) and the unreleased
Ek Do Teen Chaar. Her exemplary chemistry with
Amitabh Bachchan was showcased in eight films:
Kabhie Kabhie,
Muqaddar Ka Sikander (1978),
Kasme Vaade (1978),
Trishul (1978),
Kaala Patthar (1979),
Jurmana (1979), (1981), and
Bemisal (1982). In some films such as
Jurmana, her name is even credited ahead of the hero. She also formed a popular pair with
Sanjeev Kumar in films like
Hamare Tumhare (1979) and
Shriman Shrimati (1982). In 1981, a 23-year-old aspiring director
Anil Sharma asked her to star in an out-and-out female oriented role in his debut film
Shradhanjali. After the success of the film, Raakhee was flooded by strong heroine-dominated roles. At the peak of her career as a popular heroine, she surprised everyone by accepting strong character roles as sister-in-law to Rajesh Khanna in
Aanchal, Shashi Kapoor and Amitabh in
Shaan (1980), Mithun Chakraborty in
Dhuan (1981)
, and mother to Amitabh in
Shakti and Rishi Kapoor in
Yeh Vaada Raha (1982). She also starred in several
Bengali films at the time, with
Paroma (1984) earning her the
Bengal Film Journalists' Association Award for Best Actress (Hindi).
Supporting parts and sporadic work (1985–present) Towards the late 1980s, 1990s and 2000's, she played strong character roles as the elderly mother or a woman of principles in commercially successful films such as
Ram Lakhan (1989),
Anari (1993),
Khalnayak (1993),
Baazigar (1993),
Karan Arjun (1995),
Border (1997),
Soldier (1998),
Ek Rishtaa: The Bond of Love (2001) and
Dil Ka Rishta (2002). In 2003, she appeared in Rituparno Ghosh's mystery thriller
Shubho Mahurat, which earned her the
National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress. In a 2012 interview, she said that her favourite heroes were Rajesh Khanna and Shashi Kapoor. In 2019, Kolkata International Film Festival the film
Nirbon directed by Goutam Halder was premiered, where Raakhee portrayed the role of Bijolibala, a 70 year old lady with a strong conviction. "Doing films is not on my agenda right now, but the story fascinated me" said Raakhee said about the adaptation of Moti Nandi's novel
Bijolibalar Mukti. ==Other work==