Reena Roy

In 1971, Roy was cast by director B. R. Ishara in Nayi Duniya Naye Log opposite Danny Denzongpa, but the film was shelved and would not be released until 1973. Undeterred by the problems, Ishara offered Roy the leading role in his another directorial venture, Zaroorat. Roy was initially reluctant to select the project due to its risque subject and potentially controversial scenes, but agreed later. Zaroorat was theatrically released in 1972, failing at the box office, but Roy's sensual performance was noted by contrast. Roy's subsequent roles too focused on her sex appeal, such as in Jaise Ko Taisa (1973), which became known for the track "Ab Ke Sawan Mein Jee Dare" in which Roy and Jeetendra dance together in heavy rain. The film was a box-office hit,[5] and along with another successful release, Zakhmee (1975),[6] where she had a supporting role, prompted filmmakers to approach Roy with more significant films.[7]

Subhash Ghai's action thriller Kalicharan (1976) made her more popular among directors and audiences.Initially, there was low expectations with Kalicharan, since Subhash Ghai, a failed actor, was making his directorial debut, and Shatrugan Sinha, an actor known for his villainous roles, was making his first mark as the lead hero. But the film defied everyone's expectations and became a surprise hit, and Reena as Shatrugan's love interest got attention from audiences. They became a off-screen pair as well. She also starred in another hit family drama Udhar Ka Sindur alongside Jeetendra in that year.

Roy's career-turning point came in 1976, when she featured as the title role in Rajkumar Kohli's thriller Nagin, which featured an ensemble cast including Sunil Dutt, Jeetendra, Rekha and Mumtaz. She avenges the death of her lover by ruthlessly murdering five leading male-stars. The film became a huge hit. Also appreciated by critics, Nagin became the highest-grossing production of the year.[8] 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."[9] Roy also received a nomination for Filmfare Award for Best Actress at the 24th Filmfare Awards.[10] Box Office India published that Roy established herself as a leading actress of Bollywood with the success of Kalicharan and Nagin.. In a mixed review, The Illustrated Weekly of India lamented that Roy was used in the film for aesthetic purposes,[11] but the film emerged as a major commercial success,[8] turning Roy as well as Sinha into Bollywood stars.

Reena Roy-Shatrugan Sinha became a famous team after Kalicharan and had delivered 9 hits off the 16 they did together as the lead pair. But it was Reena's chemistry with Jeetendra in 17 marital dramas like Badaltey Rishtey (1978) and Pyaasa Sawan (1982) that set her career soaring.

Jeetendra-Reena Roy have worked in 22 films together and in 17 movies they were paired romantically. The duo produced three of their greatest classics together Apnapan (1977), Aasha (1980) and Arpan (1983). Reena's poignant dance in "Aasha" to the melody of "Shisha Ho Yah Dil" immortalized her as an icon of desire and tragedy. Her dark-shaded role in "Apnapan", as the selfish gold-digger that abandons her husband and child, won her the Best Supporting Actress Filmfare Award, beating out icons Nutan and Asha Parekh. (This was similar to the role that Meryl Streep played in "Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)). Reena rejected the Award on basis that she is the heroine of the film, not the supporting actress! And finally, her screen image as a sacrificing symbol of Indian womanhood is glorified in the immensely popular Arpan. Jeetendra-Reena Roy have worked in 22 films together and in 17 movies they were paired romantically. 12 of the 17 films where she was heroine to Jeetendra were super-hits.

In 1977, Roy garnered critical acclaim for playing Kamini, a gold-digger who abandons her husband (Jeetendra) for a much senior but richer man (Ifthekar) in J. Om Prakash's drama Apnapan. Vijay Lokapally of The Hindu stated that Roy "lives the role" and rated her performance superior to that of Jeetendra and Sulakshana Pandit. However, when Roy won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress at the 25th Filmfare Awards,[10] she refused to accept it, citing that her role was parallel to Pandit's. 1978 saw Roy collaborating with Subhash Ghai for the second time on the action film Vishwanathopposite Sinha, and in the following year, she reunited with Rajkumar Kohli for the horror film Jaani Dushman (1979). Both the films emerged as box-office hits.[12][13] Regarding her performance in the latter, Film World remarked, "Reena Roy is easy on the eye and acts with effortless ease in a role which demands nothing.".[14] In the same year she was starred in Raj Kumar Kohli's Muqabla (1979) alongside her then rumoured boyfriend Shatrughan Sinha.The film was very successful at box office.Rajkumar Kohli worked with Reena and churned out multi-star blockbusters Nagin (1976 film) , Jaani Dushman, Muqabla and Raaj Tilak.

In 1980, Roy appeared as a rebellious daughter-in-law of Lalita Pawar in Vijay Sadanah's melodrama Sau Din Saas Ke. Although the film only a moderate financial success, Roy's work was picked up by critics for praise.[15] Her most significant release of the year was the musical hit Aasha (1980) alongside Jeetendra, in which she played the title role. She received a second nomination for Filmfare Award in the Best Actress category for her portrayal.[10] It was a blockbuster success, as was the 1981 release Naseeb, a "masala" film directed by Manmohan Desai, which featured Roy alongside Sinha, Amitabh Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor and Hema Malini. India Today described the film as "enjoyable but terrible for your health",[16] but Shahid Khan of Planet Bollywood commented that Roy nevertheless, "leaves a mark in her few dramatic scenes."[17]

After the box office success of Aasha, Reena Roy became a leading lady in demand for heroine-oriented movies. She secured roles with Rajesh Khanna in 4 films. She is the defiant widow who reforms the egotistical Rajesh Khanna of Dhanwan (1981 film) ; the beautiful 'actress' that dies on stage performing her last 'mujra' for Dharmendra in Naukar Biwi Ka (1983); the talented psychiatrist determined to cure Vinod Khanna in Jail Yatra (1981). Top directors like Prakash Mehra, Raj Khosla and Sultan Ahmad offered her good roles. Her off-screen relationship with Shatrugan had ended when he got married and Reena Roy concentrated more on her career, and entered the top league in the 1980s until Sridevi arrived with the blockbuster Himmatwala (1983 film) In 1981, Roy also appeared in a parallel role with debutante Sanjay Dutt and Tina Munim in Sunil Dutt's Rocky (1981).

In 1982 alone, she had thirteen releases, by far more than any of her contemporaries. She acted in many multi-heroine movies like Prem Tapasya (1983) and Asha Jyoti after the success of earlier films like Nagin (1976 film), Jaani Dushman, Muqabla etc. Her characters became more versatile, as did her dances, as she effortlessly shifted from classical 'natyam' (Rocky (1981)) to "Disco Station" Haathkadi (1982 film). The sophisticated, glamorous model of Karishmaa, 1984 was equally seductive as the village belle of Dharam Kanta in 1982. Her profile was further enhanced with a double role in the Muslim social, Ladies Tailor (1981), opposite Sanjeev Kumar. Reena's desire to prove herself found expression in a number of female-oriented films. Enacting the role of a tormented 'bahu' in Sau Din Saas Ke (1980), she defies conventions to oppose her tyrant mother-in-law. With an author-backed role in Bezubaan (1982), she gives a realistic portrayal of a woman whose past returns to threaten her present married life. But it was Roy's presentation, Lakshmi (1982) that glorified the presence of Reena Roy in Bollywood cinema. Playing the role of a misfortune tawaif she dances to her never-ending tragedies. Reena, anguished by the commercial failure of Lakshmi, found solace in the sensational success of her other home production - the musical comedy, Sanam Teri Kasam (1982), opposite upcoming Kamal Hasan and produced by her sister Barkha Roy. This series of successful films continued in 1983 with Prakash's drama Arpan, also starring Jeetendra and Parveen Babi. And finally, her screen image as a sacrificing symbol of Indian womanhood is glorified in the immensely popular Arpan. Roy also appeared in T. Rama Rao's action film Andha Kanoon (1983) and the comedy Naukar Biwi Ka (1983), Kohli's epic Raaj Tilak (1984) and Dasari Narayana Rao's melodrama Asha Jyoti (1984). In 1985 she announced a sabbatical from films after marrying Mohsin Khan. In the following years, a number of Roy's previously completed films were released, notably J. P. Dutta's action-drama Ghulami, B. S. Glaad's Hum Dono and Satpal's Do Waqt Ki Roti (1988).

Roy returned to Bollywood in 1992, in a mature supporting role as a sister-in-law (bhabhi) in Aadmi Khilona Hai (1993) but could not repeat her success of the early days of her career. Her last film appearance was in J. P. Dutta's Refugee (2000). She then turned to acting in television serials, such as Eena Meena Deeka produced by her sister Barkha. After the serial ended, the sisters opened an acting school in 2004. Roy has also campaigned for the Indian National Congress.[18]