Biography
Rehana Sultan is the First FTII student to get work in Bollwood No sooner Rehana Sultan completed her course at FTII, she got a red carpet welcome in Bollywood. Reason, she was from the first batch of FTII and created history by becoming the First actress to fetch her debut film Dastak (1970) directed by eminent film maker Rajinder Singh Bedi. The film was an art cinema tackling the lives of prostitutes in red light area. Dastak was a success both critically and commercially. Hence Rehana Sultan became a star. Further with her next film Chetna in which she played a prostitute, she literally created sensation with her bold and seductive avatar. On the film poster itself her bare long legs created a flutter and people (particular youngster) became wild and thronged cinema halls to take a glimpse of her sexy scenes. The film was based on the rehabilitation of prostitutes and had few hits songs also like Main To Har Mod Par…..The film was a huge hit. After this she became famous as daring and bold actress who dared to bare. She did few more such films like Man Tera Tan Mera, Tanhai, Prem Parvat, Dil Ki Rahen, Ek Ladki Badnaam Si etc. but fail to create her magic. In her bit to run away from sexy roles she did few wrong films Her sexy image virtually ruined her career. After Dastak she was only offered roles to display her skin clad in sari under rain, bathroom scenes and prostitute roles. Hence in a bid to escape from such roles she selected few wrong films like Albeli, Zindagi Aur Toofan, Nawab Sahib, Deen Aur Imaan, Jwala Daaku etc. which totally ruined her career. She also did experimental films like the famous political satire Kissa Kursi Ka (1977) and Vijay Anand’s Hum Rahe Na Hum (1984) with Shabana Azmi but failed to succeed. She even did a Punjabi film Putt Jattan De (1981) with Shatrughan Sinha but failed to acquire fame. In her entire career after Dastak and Chetna, she did just 2 more hit films viz. Khotey Sikkay and Agent Vinod.
Career & Achievements
Rehana Sultan became immortal with Dastak Rajinder Singh Bedi was a genius writer and had written classic films like Bimal Roy ’s Devdas , Madhumati , Sohrab Modi’s Mirza Ghalib , Hrishikesh Mukherjee ’s Satyakam , Anupma and Abhimaan . Dastak was his first directorial venture. The film told an unconventional theme of a newly married couple who rent a house in a red light area and how the couple undergoes the traumas and mental agony of the appalling mentality visiting brothels and their daily brawls. The film was one of the landmark milestones in the growing parallel cinema in country. The film won 3 National Film Awards including Best Actress for Rehana Sultan . In addition the film also won Best Actor - Sanjeev Kumar and Best Music Direction - Madan Mohan . With Dastak , Rehana Sultan was acknowledged as a powerful actress.
Awards (1)
- National Film Awards— Best ActressforDastak












































