Divas of Super Star Rajesh Khanna: Indirani Mukherjee

Biography :

Indrani Mukherjee is an Indian film actress, who worked in Hindi cinema in the 1960s-1970s, and is known for films like Usne Kaha Tha (1960), Aakhri Khat (1966), Parvarish (1977), Dharam Veer (1977), and Des Pardes (1978). Apart from Hindi films Indrani has also acted in Marathi films like Apradh.

Early life :

Mukherjee was born and brought up in Allahabad. She started taking part in Hindi radio plays at All India Radio, Allahabad.

Career :

Her elder sister Maya was already an actress in Bengali cinema, when she happened to enter a beauty competition, wherein actress Nutan and Shobhana Samarth were judges.

Thereafter she was screen tested by Bimal Roy, which led to her debut with Usne Kaha Tha (1960) directed by Moni Bhattacharjee and produced by Roy, with Sunil Dutt and Nanda as the leads. Her next film was Dharmputra (1961) opposite Shashi Kapoor and directed by Yash Chopra, and which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi Her next big film was war film, Haqeeqat (1964) directed by Chetan Anand, who subsequently cast her as the lead, opposite debutante Rajesh Khanna in Aakhri Khat (1966), the film received critical acclaim, and was India's entry to the Academy Awards.

For next decade she became a regular feature in Hindi films, as a character actor, in notable films like, Mere Laal (the famous song payal ki jhankar raste raste was picturised on her), Grahasthi, Heer Raanjha (1970), Parvarish (1977) and Dharam Veer (1977), the Dharmendra starrer, in which played the pivotal role of Rajmata (Queen Mother).

She also acted in a few Marathi and Bhojpuri films, including Apradh, Laagi Nahi Chhute Ram (1963).

Personal life :

She retired from Hindi cinema in 1980s, She married with Mr. Kishanlal Khanna (IIT Kharagpur) (well-known Micro-irrigation Businessman) and moved to Nashik in 1992, her two grown up daughters, Deepanjali and Moyna, now live in London and MHOW. Her sons Anirudh and Dipankar live in Nashik and Bangalore.

Filmography with Super Star Rajesh Khanna :