Rukhsar Rehman, who debuted with Rishi Kapoor at 17, faced early marriage and personal struggles before making a powerful comeback to acting. She is now also known as the mother of a popular and rising actress
Rukhsar Rehman
Most might know Rukhsar Rehman through social media today, especially as the gorgeous mom of actress Aisha Ahmed, who has been a regular on several internet shows. However, long before becoming Aisha's mother, Rukhsar had her own share of fame and stardom—until personal challenges forced her to let go of her career in the movies.
Rukhsar's Bollywood journey
Rukhsar made a stunning debut at the age of 17 alongside Rishi Kapoor. But by 19, she was forcibly married and had to flee with her infant daughter.
Recently, in an interaction with Humans of Bombay, Rukhsar Rehman recalled the struggles in her personal life that began when she was still a teenager. She revealed that she made her debut with Deepak Anand’s Yaad Rakhegi Duniya (1992) when she was 17. The actress also starred with Rishi Kapoor in the film Inteha Pyar Ki.
However, her parents did not approve of her acting career and made her quit. She was married off at 18, and at 19, Rukhsar became mother to Aisha.
Being mother to Aisha Ahmed
"With Aisha, I found my new purpose. Life looked perfect from the outside. I was trying to be a good wife. But over time, the cracks began to show. And the marriage fell apart," she said.
When her marriage ended, she took her 8-month-old daughter and walked away from her husband. "One night, I packed what little I could and left. My daughter was just 8 months old, asleep, unaware our life was about to change. I kept asking myself, 'Am I doing the right thing?' But I knew I had tried everything. When my father opened the door, he didn't ask questions—just said, 'You'll be okay,'" she recalled.
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Rukhsar then opened a garment boutique in her hometown, Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, to provide for herself and her daughter.
Years later, Rukhsar married filmmaker Faruk Kabir. However, that marriage ended in divorce after 13 years. Talking about that phase, Rukhsar said, "It hurt, but Aisha was by my side. I believe she raised me too. There was a time I thought my story was over. But I loved acting too much to let it go. When you're meant to do something, you find your way back—when you're ready," she concluded.
Rukhsar’s comeback to movies
Even as she ran a boutique to meet her financial needs, the actor in her longed to return and explore new opportunities. Years after starting her boutique business, she left her daughter in the care of her parents and went to Mumbai to pursue acting once again.
"In 2005, after over a decade away, I started from scratch—small roles, auditions, rejections. But I kept going. One film led to another—D, Sarkar, PK, Uri, 83… With every project, I wasn’t just rebuilding a career, I was reclaiming my life."
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