Popular Bollywood actress, Reena Roy was one of the most sought-after actresses in the 70s and 80s. She worked in various low-budget films before getting her big break in 1976 opposite Shatrughan Sinha. Their movie, Kaalicharan, marked the beginning of Reena’s successful Bollywood career. And since there was no looking back for Reena.
Reena proved her versatility as an actress in films like Jaani Dushman, Aasha, Arpan, Asha Jyoti, Nasseb, Sanam Teri Kasam, Nagin and many others. While she was at the peak of her career, Reena tied the knot with Pakistani cricketer, Mohsin Khan in Karachi. The couple enjoyed their married life for some years and were blessed with a daughter, Jannat. After her wedding, Reena stepped away from the limelight, leaving her fans heartbroken.
Reena Roy’s personal life has always been in the limelight, and she was also linked to some of her co-stars. However, there are many aspects of Reena’s life that her fans don’t know, such as how she was born as Saira Ali. Read on to know the fascinating story of how Saira Ali became Reena Roy.
Reena Roy was born on January 7, 1957, as Saira Ali to a Muslim father, Sadiq Ali and a Hindu mother, Sharda Rai. She was the third child of her parents, and her father was a small-time actor who had appeared in the film, Bawre Nain. When Sadiq and Sharda were divorced, Saira and her three siblings disowned their father.
Soon, Sharda Rai named Saira as Roopa Rai. But when she made her acting debut in the film, Nayi Duniya Naye Log, director, BR Ishara changed her name to Reena Roy. The filmmaker was certain that Reena would soon become a household name. Though the film was never complete, Reena Roy certainly became a star and a popular name in the industry. Soon, Reena became the highest-paid actress in Bollywood in the 70s.
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Reena Roy’s affair with Shatrughan Sinha was quite popular in the 70s and 80s. The duo met each other for the first time on the sets of Kaalicharan. They became good friends and eventually fell in love. Shatrughan was 11 years older than Reena, and the actress’ mother was not very happy with their relationship.
While everyone was hoping for Reena and Shatrughan’s marriage, the actress got the biggest shock of her life. In 1981, Shatrughan married Poonam, and Reena was heartbroken; however, even after his wedding, he continued his affair with the actress. Shatrughan continued speaking to Reena as if nothing had changed.
Shatrughan never hid his extra-marital affair with Reena and was quite open about the same. Poonam, on the other hand, didn’t hide her husband’s infidelity and once spoke about the same as she said:
“The truth is that I did step aside and gave Reena a clear field, but Shatru didn’t want to marry a girl whose fidelity was in doubt. I was aware that they revived their old romance after our marriage.”
Reena didn’t want to be Shatrughan’s second choice and knew that she could never become his wife. Thus, the actress decided to part ways with him. Soon after breaking up with Shatrughan, Reena announced her marriage to Pakistani cricketer, Mohsin Khan. The couple was blessed with a daughter whom they named Jannat.
Soon, problems started cropping up in Reena’s life, and her marriage started to fall apart. Mohsin wanted to settle in London with British citizenship, but Reena found it difficult to adjust to his flamboyant lifestyle. In the early 1990s, Reena and Mohsin got divorced. Mohsin got Jannat’s custody and took her to Karachi with himself. Reena fought for their daughter’s custody, which was finally given to her after years.
Did you know the story behind Reena Roy’s real name? Let us know.
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