Born on October 10 as Bhanurekha Ganesan , Rekha shot her first Telugu movie at the tender age of 12. At the age of 15, she debuted as a heroine in successful Kannada film Goadalli CID 999 and her Bollywood debut in 1970 Sawan Bhadon made her a star. She learnt Hindi but played glamorous roles till the commercial and critical success Do Anjaane happened in 1976 with Big B. 1978 was a very luck year for her. She earned her first Filmfare nomination for her nuanced portrayal of a rape victim in Ghar and another Filmfare nomination for Muqaddar ka Sikandar, one of the biggest hits of the 70s.
She was at the peak of her career in the mid 70s through the 80s. The 1980s saw her play a chulbuli sister in Khoobsurat, a gorgeous girlfriend in Silsila and immortalizing the role of gold hearted courtesan Umrao Jaan. Gossip magazines were filled with stories of an affair between her and Big B because Amitabh and Rekha were a golden on-screen pair and their real life relationship came under the scanner because Amitabh was married to Jaya Bachchan.
Having transformed from a plump teenager to a graceful and svelte woman, thanks to Yoga, Rekha moved on to art or parallel cinema like Shyam Benegal’s Kalyug, Ramesh Talwar’s Basera, Ek Hi Bhool, Jeevan Dhara, Utsav and Ijaazat. The beautiful Rekha had now carved a niche for herself as stupendous performer and was loved by audiences and critics alike.
In 1988, she played the female protagonist in Rakesh Roshan’s Khoon Bhari Maang portraying the simple girl next door Aarti and drop dead gorgeous model Jyoti with equal élan and conviction. She won a Filmfare for her flawless performance.
She hasn’t had a very successful personal life because her husband Mukesh Agrawal died in 1991 and she has never acknowledged her relationships with Vinod Mehra and Amitabh Bachchan. Her secretary Farzana is her closest companion today.
The 90s saw her compete with young actresses like Madhuri Dixit and Raveena Tandon. The well maintained and perfectly groomed Rekha played a gangster woman in Khiladiyon ka Khiladi and a Kama Sutra teacher in Mira Nair’s controversial film of the same name in the mid 90s. Her role of M in Shyam Benegal’s Zubeidaa showed her grace and dignity. The last time she was on screen, she played mother to superstar Hrithik Roshan in Kriishh and Koi Mil Gaya and played her charms on SRK and Riteish Deshmukh in the title song of Om Shanti Om.
She hasn’t bid adieu to films and makes special appearances now and then. Her reign as an actress may be over but Rekha will always be known for her sensuous, earthy and timeless beauty and her versatile performances.
And even after twenty eight years in the Hindi film industry, Rekha continues to be an enigma unlike any other in Bollywood.
