Rehana Sultan, (born 19 November 1950 is an Indian film actress
best known for her debut role in the acclaimed 1970 film Dastak which
won her the National Film Award for Best Actress. A graduate of Film
and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, she is also known for
another bold role in the film Chetna (1970), which got her typecast
thus ending her film career, despite its promising start.
Born and raised in Allahabad to Bahá'í parents, she graduated from
the High School in 1967, and got selected in the same year to study
acting at FTII. After she graduated with a sexy role in Vishwanath
Ayengar's diploma film Shadi Ki Pehli Salgirah (1967), she got her
break in a feature film in Rajinder Singh Bedi's Dastak (1970),
making her the first actress from the Institute to land a lead role
in the film industry. She won the National Film Award for her
role in that film. In the same year she also played the lead role in
the film Chetna which was shot in 28 days along with the shooting of
Dastak. That film was about the rehabilitation of prostitutes, and
her role changed the portrayal of sex workers in Hindi cinema.
Her sexy roles brought her success but also limited her choice of
roles in future films. She landed not too many films including Haar
Jeet (1972), Prem Parvat (1973), and the famous political satire
Kissa Kursi Ka (1977). After starring in Vijay Anand’s Hum Rahen Na
Rahen (1984) with Shabana Azmi, she got married in 1984 to
writer-director B. R. Ishara, who had directed Chetna. The couple
lives in Mumbai. She appeared in a television series for ETV. She
also appeared in a Punjabi movie Putt Jattan De (1981) with
Shatrughan Sinha.
Awards :
1971 National Film Award for Best Actress : Dastak
1972 BFJA Award for Best Actress : Chetna
Rehana Sultan's Filmography with Super Star Rajesh Khanna :
Tinku - 1977 : as Sharda Shah
