Reena Roy

Debut and breakthrough (1970–76)

Roy made her acting debut in 1971 when director B. R. Ishara opposite Danny Denzongpa in Nayi Duniya Naye Log, though the film's release was delayed until 1973. Ishara subsequently offered her the lead in Zaroorat, a role she hesitated to take because of its risqué subject matter. Released in 1972, the film underperformed at the box office, but Roy's sensual performance drew attention. Her early roles traded largely on her sex appeal, notably in Jaise Ko Taisa (1973), remembered for its rain-dance number "Ab Ke Sawan Mein Jee Dare"^[4] and in the supporting part she played in the hit Zakhmee (1975),^[5] both of which brought her wider offers.^[6]

Roy's breakout came with Subhash Ghai's directorial debut Kalicharan (1976). Expectations were low going in, Ghai was a failed actor, and Shatrughan Sinha, cast against type as the hero, was best known for villainous roles but the film became a surprise commercial success, launching both actors to stardom and pairing them as a popular on-screen and off-screen duo.^[7][8]

The following family drama Udhar Ka Sindur, opposite Jeetendra, was also well received. Her career was cemented by Rajkumar Kohli's thriller Nagin, in which she played the title role alongside an ensemble that included Sunil Dutt, Jeetendra, Rekha and Mumtaz; the film was both a commercial hit and a critical success.^[7] Analyzing 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 earned her first Filmfare Award for Best Actress nomination at the 24th Filmfare Awards.^[10] Box Office India published that she has established herself as one of Hindi cinema's leading actresses between Kalicharan and Nagin.

Stardom and establishment (1977–1985)

In 1977, Roy won acclaim for playing Kamini, a woman who leaves her husband (Jeetendra) for a wealthier older man, in J. Om Prakash's Apnapan. Vijay Lokapally of The Hindu stated that Roy "lives the role" and rated her performance superior to those of Jeetendra and Sulakshana Pandit. However, when Roy won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress at the 25th Filmfare Awards, she refused to accept it, arguing that her role was parallel to Pandit's.^[10] She reunited with Ghai in 1978 for the action film Vishwanath, again opposite Sinha, and with Kohli in 1979 for the horror hit Jaani Dushman; both films did well commercially.^[11][12] Regarding her performance in the latter, Film World remarked, "Roy is easy on the eye and acts with effortless ease in a role which demands nothing."^[13] She also starred alongside Sinha, her rumoured boyfriend at the time, in Rajkumar Kohli's successful Muqabla.

The 1980s brought Roy some of her biggest roles. Sau Din Saas Ke (1980), in which she played a rebellious daughter-in-law to Lalita Pawar, was only a modest earner but was praised critically.^[14] Far more successful was the musical Aasha (1980), opposite Jeetendra, which brought her a second Best Actress nomination at the 28th Filmfare Awards.^[10] That year, she topped Box Office India's annual list of leading actresses, having featured on it continuously since 1976. Her personal life also shifted around this time: her relationship with Sinha ended after he married in 1980, after which she focused more fully on her career.

In 1981, she appeared in Manmohan Desai's ensemble hit Naseeb, alongside Sinha, Amitabh Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor and Hema Malini. India Today described the film as "enjoyable but terrible for your health",^[15] but Shahid Khan of Planet Bollywood commented that Roy nevertheless, "leaves a mark in her few dramatic scenes."^[16] Roy also appeared in a supporting role opposite debutant Sanjay Dutt and Tina Munim in Sunil Dutt's 1981 romantic action Rocky. By 1982 was one of the busiest actresses in the industry, appearing in thirteen releases that year alone, and worked with leading directors including Prakash Mehra, Raj Khosla and Sultan Ahmed. Her roles diversified considerably during this period: she played a reforming widow opposite Rajesh Khanna in Dhanwan (1981); a psychiatrist opposite Vinod Khanna in Jail Yatra (1981), a courtesan opposite Dharmendra in Naukar Biwi Ka (1983), and took a double role opposite Sanjeev Kumar in Ladies Tailor (1981). She also had prominent parts in multi-heroine films such as Prem Tapasya (1983) and Asha Jyoti (1984).

Roy's title roles in this period were mixed in fortune: Lakshmi (1982), in which she played a courtesan, failed commercially and disappointed her, but the same year's Sanam Teri Kasam, a musical comedy produced by her sister Barkha Roy and co-starring Kamal Haasan, was a hit. She continued to work steadily through the mid-1980s with films including Sultan Ahmed's drama Dharam Kanta (1982), J. Om Prakash 's drama Arpan (1983), T. Rama Rao's action Andha Kanoon (1983), and Rajkumar Kohli's action drama Raaj Tilak (1984), often playing self-sacrificing or virtuous women. Over her career, Roy and Jeetendra appeared together in 22 films, 17 of them as a romantic pair, including three she co-produced with him; Apnapan and Aasha. She and Sinha, meanwhile, had 9 hits from the 16 films they featured together.

In 1985 Roy went on a career break following her marriage to cricketer Mohsin Khan. Several films she had already completed were released over the next few years, including J. P. Dutta's Ghulami, B. S. Glaad's Hum Dono and Satpal's Do Waqt Ki Roti (1988).

Sabbatical and later work (1992—present)

Roy returned to acting in 1992, taking a supporting role as a sister-in-law in Aadmi Khilona Hai (1993) but was unable to recapture her earlier success. Her final film role came in J. P. Dutta's Refugee (2000). She then moved into television, appearing in the seria Eena Meena Deeka produced by her sister Barkha; after it ended, the sisters opened an acting school together in 2004. Roy has also been involved in political campaigning for the Indian National Congress.^[17]