Bina Rai - The Mumtaz Mahal of Hindi cinema
Undoubtedly she was a good looker though Madhubala was the most beautiful woman of her time. “Bina Rai was a woman of rare elegance, she was like a queen on and off the screen”.
AshaParekhsaidofher
Anyone having watched the film Taj Mahal (1963) in which Bina Rai starred opposite Pradeep Kumar would vouch to her beauty and elegance. The songs in this film by Mohamed Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar are popular even todate.
Bina Rai was a leading actress in the 1950s and 60s admired for her elfin charm and versatil- ity. Beautiful and talented but slightly introverted, she made fever films than her contemporaries tended to. Bina had said that she believes in quality and not quantity “and many of the 30 odd films she made were critically acclaimed and commercially successful.
There was a regal aura about her, who is particularly remembered for her performances in classic films such as Anarkali 1953, Ghunghat 1960 and Taj Mahal 1963. Bina Rai won the Filmfare Award for the Best actress in Gunghhat, despite Asha Parekh’s substantial role in the film. She acted opposite Bharat Bhushan.
Asha Parekh said that Bina Rai was “A woman of rare elegance, she was like a queen on and off the screen. She was’nt quite like the average film person. She always appeared to be different and detached .But what an actress”, Asha said.
Bina Rai who acted opposite Pradeep Kumar in Taj Mahal, and a couple of other films, was one of the most popular pairings in the history of Hindi cinema. However, it was Premnath who acted opposite her in Aurat in 1953 who won her heart and the two got married while the film was still being shot.
She was born on 4 June 1936 into a conservative family in Lucknow. While in college she was a rage. She was even selective of her roles, and she refused to act opposite Dilip Kumar in Devdas as her role was that of a immoral character. She died on 6 December 2009 due to a severe heart attack.