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Rekha
Bhanurekha Ganesan (born 10 October 1954[1][2][3]), better
Rekha
known by her stage name Rekha, is an Indian film actress. Noted
for her versatility and acknowledged as one of the finest actresses in
Indian cinema,[5] she has acted in more than 180 Hindi films and
won a National Film Award and three Filmfare Awards. She has
often played strong and complicated female characters, from
fictional to literary, in both mainstream and independent films.
Though her career has gone through certain periods of decline, she
has gained a reputation for reinventing herself numerous times and
has been credited for her ability to sustain her status.[6]

The extramarital daughter of actors Gemini Ganesan and

Pushpavalli, Rekha started her career in 1958 as a child actress in
the Telugu film Inti Guttu, though her film debut as a lead happened
twelve years later with Sawan Bhadon (1970). Despite the success of
several of her early films, she was often panned for her looks and
weight, and it was not until later in the decade that change was
taking place.[7] Motivated by criticism, Rekha started working on her
appearance and put effort into improving her acting technique and
command of the Hindi language. Early recognition came for her Rekha in 2015
performances in films such as Ghar and Muqaddar Ka Sikandar
(both 1978). This period marked the beginning of the most Born Bhanurekha Ganesan
successful period of her career, and she was one of Hindi cinema's 10 October
leading stars through most of the 1980s until the early 1990s. 1954[1][2][3]
Madras, Madras
For her performance in the comedy Khubsoorat (1980) she received State, India (present-
her first Filmfare Award for Best Actress. She followed it with roles day Chennai, Tamil
in Baseraa, Ek Hi Bhool (1981), Jeevan Dhaara (1982) and Agar
Nadu)
Tum Na Hote (1983). While mostly prolific in popular Hindi cinema,
during this time she ventured into arthouse films, a movement of Nationality Indian
neo-realist films known in India as parallel cinema. These films Alma mater Sacred Heart
included dramas such as Kalyug (1981), Vijeta (1982) and Utsav Convent, Church
(1984), and her portrayal of a classical courtesan in Umrao Jaan Park, Chennai, India
(1981) won her the National Film Award for Best Actress. In 1988,
she starred as an avenger in Khoon Bhari Maang, for which she won Spouse(s) Mukesh Aggarwal
a second Best Actress award at Filmfare. (m. 1990; died 1990)
Parent(s) Gemini Ganesan
Her work was much less frequent in subsequent decades. Her early (father)
roles in the 1990s mostly met with lukewarm reviews. In 1996, she Pushpavalli (mother)
took a negative turn of an underworld don in the action thriller
Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi (1996), for which won a third Filmfare Award Relatives Savitri (step-mother)
in the Best Supporting Actress category, and a year later appeared in Kamala Selvaraj (half-
Kama Sutra and Aastha to critical acclaim but some public scrutiny. sister)
During the 2000s, she was praised for her supporting roles in the Shubha (cousin)
2001 dramas Zubeidaa and Lajja, and started playing mother roles,

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among which was her role in the science fiction Koi Mil Gaya (2003) Vedantam
and its superhero sequel Krrish (2006), both blockbusters. In 2010, Raghavaiah (uncle)[4]
she was honoured with the Padma Shri by the Government of
Awards Padma Shri (2010)
India.[8]

Rekha's private life and public image have been the subject of frequent media interest and discussion.
Her only marriage to Mukesh Aggarwal in 1990 ended a year later with his death. Her pairing opposite
Amitabh Bachchan starting in the 1970s in a number of successful films was accompanied by speculation
about a love affair between the two, which culminated in their starring film Silsila (1981), reflective of
media projections. Her public image has often been tied to her perceived sex appeal. Rekha is reluctant
to give interviews or discuss her life, which resulted in her being labelled a recluse.

Contents
Early life
Film career
Debut and early roles
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
Personal life
Image and artistry
See also
References
Further reading
Bibliography
External links

Early life
Rekha was born in Madras on to Tamil actor Gemini Ganesan and Telugu actress Pushpavalli.[3] Her
father did not acknowledge his paternity during her childhood.[9] Rekha has a sister, one half-brother
and five half-sisters.[10] It was in early 1970s, when she was looking for a footing in Bollywood, that she
revealed her origins. Later, at the peak of her career, Rekha told a magazine interviewer that her father's
neglect still rankled and that she had ignored his efforts at reconciliation.[9] Her mother tongue is
Telugu,[11] although she has stated that she thinks in English.[12]

Rekha attended Church Park convent school Tamil Nadu.[13] At the age of 13, she quit school to start a
career in acting. She did not have any personal aspirations in this direction, but the troubled financial
state of her family compelled her to do so.[14]

Film career
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Debut and early roles

Rekha appeared as a child (credited as Baby Bhanurekha) in the Telugu film Intti Guttu. After dropping
out of school at age 13, she appeared in the Telugu film Rangula Ratnam. She had no interest in acting
and was basically forced to work to sustain her family financially, as her mother's salary would still not
make ends meet. This was a difficult period in her life; still a teenager, adapting to her new surroundings
was an uneasy process. Coming from the South, she did not speak Hindi and struggled to communicate
with co-workers, and was constantly missing her mother, who was critically ill. Moreover, she was
required to follow a strict diet. Recalling this phase, Rekha was later quoted as saying (Reacting to it,
many years later, she said, "I'm healed, I am not bitter anymore, I don't think I ever was."):

Bombay was like a jungle, and I had walked in unarmed. It was one of the most frightening
phases of my life... I was totally ignorant of the ways of this new world. Guys did try and take
advantage of my vulnerability. I did feel,"What am I doing? I should be in school, having an
ice-cream, fun with my friends, why am I even forced to work, deprived of normal things that
a child should be doing at my age?" Every single day I cried, because I had to eat what I
didn't like, wear crazy clothes with sequins and stuff poking into my body. Costume jewellery
would give me an absolute terrible allergy. Hair spray wouldn't go off for days even despite
all my washing. I was pushed, literally dragged from one studio to another. A terrible thing to
do to a 13-year-old child.[15]

Rekha's first film as a lead was in the successful Kannada film Operation Jackpot Nalli C.I.D 999
opposite Rajkumar in 1969.[9] In that same year, she starred in her first Hindi film, Anjana Safar. She
later claimed that she was tricked into a kissing scene with the leading actor Biswajit for the overseas
market,[16][17] and the kiss made it to the Asian edition of Life magazine.[18] The film ran into censorship
problems, and would not be released until almost a decade later in 1979 (retitled as Do Shikaari).[19]

1970s

1970 saw the release of the Hindi film Sawan Bhadon, which was considered her acting debut in
Bollywood. She had to learn Hindi, as that was not her naturally spoken language.[20][21] Sawan Bhadon
became a hit, and Rekha – a star overnight.[9][22] Despite the success of the film, she was often scorned
for her looks. Critics complimented her confidence and comic timing in the film, but made remarks
about her weight.[23] She subsequently got several offers but nothing of substance, as her roles were
mostly just of a glamour girl.[14] She was highly prolific during the decade, working on average in ten
films a year, most of which were deemed potboilers and failed to propel her career forward in terms of
roles and appreciation.[24] She appeared in several commercially successful films at the time, including
Raampur Ka Lakshman (1972), Kahani Kismat Ki (1973), and Pran Jaye Par Vachan Na Jaye (1974),
yet she was not regarded for her acting abilities and—according to Tejaswini Ganti—"the industry was
surprised by her success as her dark complexion, plump figure, and garish clothing contradicted the
norms of beauty prevalent in the film industry and in society."[9][14] In 1975, she appeared in the war
film Aakraman; Qurratulain Hyder called the film "well-meaning but incredibly corny" and labelled
Rekha "a clothes horse".[25]

Rekha recalls that the way she was perceived at that time motivated her to change her appearance and
improve her choice of roles: "I was called the 'Ugly Duckling' of Hindi films because of my dark
complexion and South Indian features. I used to feel deeply hurt when people compared me with the
leading heroines of the time and said I was no match for them. I was determined to make it big on sheer

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merit."[26] This period marked the beginning of Rekha's physical transformation. She started paying
attention to her make-up, dress sense, and worked to improve her acting technique and perfect her
Hindi-language skills. To lose weight, she followed a nutritious diet, led a regular, disciplined life, and
practised yoga, later recording albums to promote physical fitness. According to Khalid Mohamed, "The
audience was floored when there was a swift change in her screen personality, as well as her style of
acting."[27] She began choosing her film roles with more care; her first performance-oriented role came
in 1976 when she played Amitabh Bachchan's ambitious and greedy wife in Do Anjaane.[28] An
adaptation of Nihar Ranjan Gupta's Bengali novel Ratrir Yatri, the film was directed by Dulal Guha and
became a reasonable success with audiences and critics.[9]

Her most significant turning point, however, came in 1978, with her portrayal of a rape victim in the
movie Ghar. She played the role of Aarti, a newly married woman who gets gravely traumatised after
being gang-raped. The film follows her character's struggle and recuperation with the help of her loving
husband, played by Vinod Mehra. The film was considered her first notable milestone,[14] and her
performance was applauded by both critics and audiences. Dinesh Raheja from Rediff, in an article
discussing her career, remarked, "Ghar heralded the arrival of a mature Rekha. Her archetypal jubilance
was replaced by her very realistic portrayal..."[18] She received her first nomination for Best Actress at
the Filmfare Awards.[9][29]

In that same year, she attained fame with Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, in which she co-starred once again
with Amitabh Bachchan. The movie was the biggest hit of that year, as well as one of the biggest hits of
the decade, and Rekha was set as one of the most successful actresses of these times.[30] The film opened
to a positive critical reception, and Rekha's performance as a courtesan named Zohra, noted for a
"smouldering intensity", earned her a Best Supporting Actress nomination at the Filmfare.[9][29]

1980s

In 1980, Rekha appeared in the comedy Khubsoorat, directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, with whom she
had developed a strong father-daughter bond during their previous collaborations. In a role written
specially for her, she played Manju Dayal, a young vivacious woman who visits her recently married
sister at her in-law's house and tries to bring joy to the wide family, much to the displeasure of the
matriarch of the household.[31] Rekha said she easily identified with the bubbly nature of her character,
calling it "quite a bit me".[32] Khubsoorat was a success and Rekha was appreciated for her comic
timing.[28] It won the Filmfare Award for Best Film and Rekha won her first Best Actress award. The
Tribune described the film as "a lively comedy," noting that "Rekha's spunky performance gives the film
its natural zing."[33] Film World magazine reported in that same year, "Rekha's done it. Smoothly,
successfully. From a plump, pelvis-jerking, cleavage-flashing temptress, she has metamorphosed into a
sleek, accomplished actress. Gone are most of the inane mannerisms, pouts, wiggles and giggles." It
further noted that her career prospects had begun to improve significantly, as leading filmmakers had
started taking more notice of her and become more keen to cast her in their films.[34]

Rekha starred opposite Bachchan in a number of films, most of which were hits. She also had an alleged
love affair with him, which was widely reported on in the media, as well as sharply criticised, as he was a
married man.[35] Media interest and coverage of their alleged off-screen relationship culminated when
they starred in Yash Chopra's drama Silsila.[35] The film was the most scandalous of their films together
as it reflected the rumours by the press: Rekha played Bachchan's past love interest and current lover,
while Bachchan's real-life wife, Jaya Bhaduri, played his wife.[36] Rekha and Bachchan's relationship
reportedly ended in 1981 while making the film. This was their last film together.[35]

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Critics noted Rekha for having worked hard to perfect her Hindi and acting, and media reporters often
discussed how she had transformed herself from a "plump" duckling to a "swan" in the early 1970s.
Rekha's credits to this transformation were yoga, a nutritious diet, and a regular, disciplined life. In
1983, her diet and yoga practice were published in a book called "Rekha's Mind and Body Temple".[37]

In 1981, she starred in Umrao Jaan, a film adaptation of Mirza Hadi Ruswa's Urdu novel Umrao Jaan
Ada (1905). Rekha played the title role of a courtesan and poet from 19th century Lucknow. The film
follows Umrao's life story right from her days as a young girl named Amiran when she is kidnapped and
sold in a brothel to her later position as a popular courtesan seeking happiness amid love affairs and
other tribulations. Rekha once confessed, "After reading the script, I had a strange feeling that I had
Umrao in me." In preparation for the role, Rekha, who at the beginning of her career did not speak
Hindi, took the task of learning the finer nuances of the Urdu language.[20] Director Muzaffar Ali later
noted that she had "given more than my conception of the role".[31] The response to her work was
universally positive. Her portrayal is considered to be one of her career-best performances, and she was
awarded the National Film Award for Best Actress for it.[28][38] She played a courtesan with a heart of
gold in several of her films; Muqaddar Ka Sikandar and Umrao Jaan were followed by a number of
films which had her playing similar roles.

In that same year, Rekha starred in Ramesh Talwar's family drama Baseraa, which saw her playing a
woman who marries her sister's husband, after the latter loses her mental balance. She appeared as
Sadhna in the commercially successful Ek Hi Bhool (1981), opposite Jeetendra, playing the role of a
betrayed wife who leaves her husband. In 1982, she received another Filmfare nomination for Jeevan
Dhaara, in which she played a young unmarried woman who is the sole breadwinner of her extended
family. In 1983, she took the supporting role of a lawyer in Mujhe Insaaf Chahiye, garnering another
Filmfare nomination in the Supporting Actress category.

During this period, Rekha was willing to expand her range beyond what she was given in mainstream
films. She started working in arthouse pictures with independent directors, mostly under Shashi
Kapoor's production, in what was used to be referred to as parallel cinema, an Indian New Wave
movement known for its serious content and neo-realism. Her venture into this particular genre started
off with Umrao Jaan, and was followed by other such films as Shyam Benegal's award-winning drama,
Kalyug (1981), Govind Nihalani's Vijeta (1982), Girish Karnad's Utsav (1984) and Gulzar's Ijaazat
(1987), among others. Benegal's Kalyug is a modern-day adaptation of the Indian mythological epic
Mahabharat, depicted as an archetypal-conflict between rival business houses. Rekha's role was that of
Supriya, a character based on Draupadi. Benegal said he decided to cast her in the role after seeing her
work in Khubsoorat, besides noticing that she was "very keen, very serious about her profession".[31]
Critic and author Vijay Nair described her performance as "a masterful interpretation of the modern
Draupadi".[39] Madhu Trehan of India Today complimented her for playing "flawlessly" the part of "a
woman of intelligence, strength and a barely suppressed yearning for her young brother-in-law".[40]

In Vijeta she played a woman who struggles through her marital problems and tries to support her
adolescent son, who, undecided about his future plans, eventually decides to join the Indian Air
Force.[28] She described her performance in the film as one of her favourite from her own repertoire. For
her portrayal of Vasantsena in Utsav, an erotic comedy based on the fourth-century Sanskrit play
Mrichhakatika (The Little Clay Cart), she was acknowledged as the Best Actress (Hindi) of the year by
the Bengal Film Journalists' Association. Maithili Rao wrote for "Encyclopaedia of Hindi Cinema",
"Rekha – forever the first choice for the courtesan's role, be it ancient Hindu India or 19th-century
Muslim Lucknow – is all statuesque sensuality..."[41] In Gulzar's drama Ijaazat, Rekha and Naseeruddin
Shah star as a divorced couple who meet unexpectedly for the first time after years of separation at a
railway station, and recall together their life as a married couple and the conflicts which brought about
their eventual split.[42]
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Apart from parallel cinema, Rekha took on other increasingly serious, even adventurous roles; she was
among the early actresses to play lead roles in heroine-oriented films, the first of which was Khoon Bhari
Maang in 1988.[43] She won her second Filmfare Award for her performance in the film. Rekha went on
to describe Khoon Bhari Maang as "the first and only film I concentrated and understood all
throughout."[44] One critic wrote about her performance in the film, "Rekha as Aarti is just flawless and
this is one of her best performances ever! In the first half as the shy and not so sexy Aarti she is excellent
and after the plastic surgery as the model and femme fatale she is excellent too. Some scenes show that
we are watching an actress of a very high calibre here."[45] M.L. Dhawan from The Tribune, while
documenting the famous Hindi films of 1988, remarked that Khoon Bhari Maang was "a crowning glory
for Rekha, who rose like a phoenix ... and bedazzled the audience with her daredevilry."[46]
Encyclopædia Britannica's Encyclopædia of Hindi Cinema listed her role in the film as one of Hindi
cinema's memorable female characters, noting it for changing "the perception of the ever-forgiving wife,
turning her into an avenging angel."[47] In a similar list by Screen magazine, the role was included as one
of "ten memorable roles that made the Hindi film heroine proud."[48]

In later interviews, Rekha often described the moment she received the Filmfare Award for this role as a
turning point, explaining that only then did she start genuinely enjoying her work and seeing it as more
than "just a job": "...when I went up on the stage, and received my award for Khoon Bhari Maang...
Boom, it hit me! That's the first time I realised the value of being an actor and how much this profession
meant to me." In 2011 she further stated, "I felt even more charged to give my best and knew right then,
that this was my calling, what I was born to do, to make a difference in people's lives, through my
performances."[49][50]

1990s

The 1990s saw a drop in Rekha's success. Few of her films were successful and many of her roles were
condemned by reviewers. Critics did note, however, that unlike most of the actresses of her generation,
like Hema Malini and Raakhee, who succumbed to playing character parts, typically of mothers and
aunts, Rekha was still playing leading roles at a time when younger female stars rose to fame.[20] The
first year of the decade saw four releases featuring Rekha, including Mera Pati Sirf Mera Hai and Amiri
Garibi, all of which went unnoticed. Still recovering from the recent suicide of her husband and
struggling with the ensuing press antagonism towards her, Rekha retained considerable success with her
starring role as Namrata Singh, a young woman who joins the police force to avenge her husband's death
in K. C. Bokadia's Phool Bane Angaray (1991). The film was a box-office hit and Rekha received a Best
Actress nomination at Filmfare for her work, in reference to which Subhash K. Jha remarked, "Khaki
never seemed sexier".[51][52] The public's acceptance of this film and Khoon Bhari Maang prompted
several filmmakers to come with similar offers to Rekha, and she played such roles—labeled "avenging
angels"—in several of her proceeding projects to a much less consequential effect. These included her
next film Insaaf Ki Devi (1992), and later films such as Ab Insaf Hoga (1995) and Udaan (1997), all of
which were major duds.[53] She followed with a dual role of twin sisters in Shakti Samanta's Geetanjali
opposite Jeetendra and the title role in the box-office disaster Madam X, in which she starred as a young
woman hired by the police to impersonate a female underworld don.[54]

Halfway through the decade, Rekha managed to halt her decline when she accepted several highly-
controversial films, including Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love and Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi (1996). Kama
Sutra, a foreign production directed by Mira Nair, was an erotic drama, and many felt her role of a Kama
Sutra teacher in the film would damage her career.[6] She was undeterred by the criticism. Todd
McCarthy of Variety described her as "exquisitely composed" in the part.[55] Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi, an
action film directed by Umesh Mehra, was a major financial success, becoming one of the highest-
grossing Indian films of the year.[56] It featured Rekha in her first negative role as Madam Maya, a
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vicious gangster woman running a secret business of illegal wrestling matches in the US, who, during the
course of the film, romances the much younger Akshay Kumar. Her portrayal earned her several awards,
including the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress and the Star Screen Award for Best Villain. In
spite of the positive response to her performance from both fans and critics, she maintained on more
than one occasion that she did not like herself in the film, noting that her work was not up to her own,
personal standards.[57][58]

Another controversial film at that time was Aastha: In the Prison of Spring (1997), where Basu
Bhattacharya, making the last film of his career, cast her as a housewife who moonlights as a prostitute.
While her performance earned her positive notices and a Star Screen Award nomination, she was
criticised by the audience for the nature of the part, to which she later replied, "...people had a lot to say
about my role... I don't have problems playing anything. I've reached a stage where I could do justice to
any role that came my way. It could be role of a mother, a sister-in-law; negative, positive, sensational or
anything."[59] She next acted in Qila (1998) and Mother (1999).[60][61]

2000s

In the 2000s, Rekha appeared in relatively few movies. She started the decade with Bulandi, directed by
Rama Rao Tatineni. The other was Khalid Muhammad's Zubeidaa, co starring Karisma Kapoor and
Manoj Vajapayee playing the first wife Maharani Mandira Devi of the King.[62]

In 2001, Rekha appeared in Rajkumar Santoshi's feminist drama Lajja, an ensemble piece inspired by a
true incident of a woman being raped in Bawanipur two years before.[63] The film follows the journey of
a runaway wife (Manisha Koirala) and unfolds her story in three main chapters, each one presenting the
story of a woman at whose place she stops. Rekha was the protagonist of the final chapter, around which
the film's inspiration revolves, playing Ramdulari, an oppressed Dalit village woman and social activist
who becomes a victim of gangrape. Speaking of the film, Rekha commented, "I am Lajja and Lajja is
me".[64] Highly praised for her portrayal, she received several nominations for her work, including a Best
Supporting Actress nomination at Filmfare. Taran Adarsh wrote that "it is Rekha who walks away with
the glory, delivering one of the finest performances the Indian screen has seen in the recent
times."[65][66][67]

In Rakesh Roshan's science-fiction film Koi... Mil Gaya, Rekha played Sonia Mehra, a single mother to a
developmentally disabled young man, played by Hrithik Roshan. The movie was a financial and critical
success and became the most popular film of the year; it won the Filmfare Award for Best Film, among
others.[68] Rekha received another Best Supporting Actress nomination at the Filmfare for her
performance, which Khalid Mohamed described as "astutely restrained".[69]

In 2005, Rekha guest starred in an item number in connection with the song "Kaisi Paheli Zindagani", in
Pradeep Sarkar's "Parineeta". In Bachke Rehna Re Baba (2005), Rekha played a con woman who, along
with her niece, uses one scheme to rob men of their property. The film was a major critical failure.[70]
Mid Day remarked, "why Rekha chose to sign this film is a wonder," noting that she is "riddled with bad
dialogue, terrible cakey makeup and tawdry styling".[71] This was followed in 2006 by Kudiyon Ka Hai
Zamana, a poorly received sex comedy about four female friends and their personal troubles. In a
scathing review, Indu Mirani noted that "Rekha hams like she was never going to do another film."[72] In
a 2007 article by Daily News and Analysis, critic Deepa Gahlot directed an advice to Rekha: "Please pick
movies with care, one more like Bach Ke Rehna Re Baba and Kudiyon Ka Hai Zamana and the diva
status is under serious threat."[73]

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In 2006, she reprised the role of Sonia Mehra in Krrish, Rakesh Roshan's sequel to Koi... Mil Gaya. In
this superhero feature, the story moves 20 years forward and focuses on the character of Sonia's
grandson Krishna (played again by Hrithik Roshan), whom she has brought up single-handedly after the
death of her son Rohit, and who turns out to have supernatural powers. Krrish became the second-
highest grossing picture of the year and, like its prequel, was declared a blockbuster.[74] It received
mostly positive notices from critics, and Rekha's work earned her another Filmfare nomination in the
supporting category. Ronnie Scheib from Variety noted her for bringing "depth to her role as the
nurturing grandmother".[75]

In 2007, she once again portrayed a courtesan in Goutam Ghose's Yatra. Unlike the initial success she
experienced in playing such roles in the early stages of her career, this time the film failed to do well. In
2010, Rekha was awarded the Padma Shri, the 4th highest civilian award given by the Government of
India.

2010s

Rekha has also been nominated as a Rajya Sabha member. She currently is the member of the Rajya
Sabha (May 2012).[76]

Rekha starred in the 2010 film Sadiyaan alongside Hema Malini and Rishi Kapoor. The film marked the
debut of Shatrughan Sinha's son Luv Sinha. The film failed to do well at the box office.

In 2014, Rekha was working on Abhishek Kapoor's Fitoor, but left the film due to unknown reasons and
later Tabu was signed as her replacement. In 2014 she also worked in Super Nani released on Diwali (24
October). Super Nani was a family drama, in which the grandmother (Rekha) is unappreciated by her
children and husband, Randhir Kapoor. Her grandson, Sharman Joshi convinces her to change. The
grandmother 'transforms' herself into a glamorous model.

In 2015, she appeared in R. Balki's Shamitabh, where she played herself.

Personal life
In 1990, Rekha married Delhi-based industrialist Mukesh Aggarwal. A few months later—while she was
in London—he committed suicide, after several previous attempts, leaving a note, "Don't blame
anyone".[77] She was pilloried by the press at that time, a period which one journalist termed as "the
deepest trough in her life."[78] Bhawana Somaaya observed the period speaking of "a strong anti-wave
against the actress — some called her a witch, some a murderess," but added that soon "Rekha came out
of the eclipse once again unblemished!"[79]

She was rumoured to have been married to actor Vinod Mehra in 1973, but in a 2004 television interview
with Simi Garewal she denied being married to Mehra referring to him as a "well-wisher". Rekha
currently lives in her Bandra home in Mumbai.[80][81]

She was also rumoured to have been in a relationship with Amitabh Bachchan after they first acted
together in Do Anjaane, and later in Silsila.[82][83][84]

Image and artistry

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In 1986, The Illustrated Weekly of India wrote of Rekha, "There has

never been anyone quite like Rekha. Tempestuous woman.
Troublemaker extraordinary. A woman once known, never quite
forgotten. And an accomplished actress who can often startle you
with a truly great performance."[85] In 2011, Rediff listed her as the
ninth-greatest Indian actress of all time, noting, "It's hard not to be
bowled over by Rekha's longevity, or her ability to reinvent herself...
the actress took on a man's job and did it stunningly well, holding
her own against all the top actors and being remembered despite
them."[86] Filmfare described her acting style, writing, "...when it
comes to style, sexiness or sheer onscreen presence, she's
unparalleled... [she is] a fierce, raw, flinty performer with unbridled
honesty. Her acting isn't gimmicky."[87] Critic Khalid Mohamed
commends her technical control: "She knows how to give and to
what degree. She has all that it takes to be a director. There is a kind
of vulnerability in her control. She explores when she is acting."[88]
Shyam Benegal, who directed her in two movies, believes she is "a
director's actress".[89] M.L. Dhawan from The Tribune wrote,
"Rekha's flowering as an actress post Ghar and Khubsoorat Rekha at Ahana Deol's wedding
climaxed in [...] Umrao Jaan. As a tragic courtesan she gave a reception in Feb 2014
performance of quality artistry, adopting a much-admired huskiness
and despondency of tone. Rekha communicated much with a
delicately raised eyebrow.[90] In 2010, Filmfare included two of her performances—from Khubsoorat
(1980) and Umrao Jaan (1981)—in their list of "80 Iconic Performances".[91] Her work in the latter was
included on Forbes India's list of "25 Greatest Acting Performances of Indian Cinema".[92]

Rekha has often been compared to Greta Garbo, and has been cited
by media as her Indian equivalent.[37][59] Hindustan Times
described her physical change and loss of weight as "one of cinema's
and perhaps real life's most dramatic transformations," arguing that
"Rekha morphed from an overweight, dark ordinary girl into a
glamorous and beautiful enigma, shrouding her life in an intriguing
Garbo-like mystery."[93] According to Rediff, "Rekha's reclusive
nature has gone a long way towards building an aura of mystery
around her."[94] Rekha rarely gives interviews, and she mostly
avoids parties and events. Asked once about her mysterious image,
she denied several times trying to live up to this image, asserting it is
press-created: "What mystery? The media is the one that creates this
image. It's just that I am basically shy by nature, an introvert and
fiercely private."[95] Film journalist Anupama Chopra, who visited
Rekha at 4th Annual Asia Spa Rekha in 2003, wrote that while tabloids had portrayed her as "a
Awards reclusive woman twisted bitter by lecherous men and loneliness", in
reality Rekha was "none of these", describing her as "chatty and
curious, excited and energetic, cheerful and almost illegally
optimistic".[89]

Writing for The Tribune, Mukesh Khosla spoke of her transformation, writing, "From the giggling village
belle in Saawan Bhadon to one of country's reigning actresses, Rekha has come a long way."[96]
According to critic Omar Qureshi, "the term diva (in India) was coined for Rekha."[37] Mira Nair, who

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directed Rekha in Kama Sutra (1997), likens her to a "Jamini Roy painting" and says, "Like Marilyn
Monroe is shorthand for sex, Rekha is shorthand for charisma". Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali labels
her the "last of the great stars".[89]

She was referred to as the reigning Queen of Indian Cinema at the 2012 IIFA Awards held in Singapore,
where she was given the "Outstanding Contribution to Indian Cinema (Female)" award, also referred to
as the Lifetime Achievement Award.[97]

See also
List of Indian film actresses

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Further reading
Gulzar; Govind Nihalani; Saibal Chatterjee (2003). Encyclopaedia of Hindi cinema. Popular
Prakashan, Encyclopædia Britannica (India) Pvt. Ltd. ISBN 978-81-7991-066-5.
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dinesh.htm). Rediff.com. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
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oct/10rek.htm). Rediff.com. Retrieved 20 July 2007..
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i.htm). Mid Day. Archived from the original (http://www.mid-day.com/specials/2009/oct/181009-enigm
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-engima.html). Deccan Herald. Indo-Asian News Service. 9 October 2009. Retrieved 27 February
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Gangadhar, V. (24 April 2004). "Queen bee – The legend of Rekha" (http://www.tribuneindia.com/200
5/20050424/spectrum/main1.htm). The Tribune; Spectrum. Retrieved 8 September 2011.
Usman, Yasser (2016). Rekha: The Untold Story (illustrated ed.). Juggernaut Books.
ISBN 9788193284186.

Bibliography
Usman, Yaseer (2016). Rekha: The Untold Story. Juggernaut Publication. ISBN 9788193284186.

External links
Rekha (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004334/) on IMDb

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