Bhanurekha Ganesan (born 10 October 1954), better known by her stage name Rekha, is an Indian actress who appears predominantly in
Hindi films
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
. Acknowledged as one of the finest actresses in
Indian cinema
The Cinema of India consists of motion pictures produced in India, which had a large effect on world cinema since the late 20th century. Major centers of film production across the country include Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, ...
, she has starred in more than
180 films and is the recipient of
several accolades, including one
National Film Award
The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directora ...
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, Rekha has gained a reputation for reinventing herself numerous times and has been credited for her ability to sustain her status. In 2010, the
Government of India
The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...
honoured her with
Padma Shri
Padma Shri ( IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is conf ...
, India's fourth highest civilian honour.
The daughter of actors
Pushpavalli and
Gemini Ganesan
Ramasamy Ganesan (17 November 1920 – 22 March 2005), better known by his stage name Gemini Ganesan, was an Indian actor who worked mainly in Tamil cinema. He was referred to as the ''Kaadhal Mannan'' (King of Romance) for his romantic roles ...
, Rekha started her career as a child actress in Telugu films ''
Inti Guttu'' (1958) and ''
Rangula Ratnam'' (1966). Her first film as a lead happened with the Kannada movie ''
Operation Jackpot Nalli C.I.D 999'' (1969). Her Hindi debut with ''
Sawan Bhadon
''Sawan Bhadon'' is a 1970 Bollywood film produced and directed by Mohan Segal. The film was the debut film for its lead pair Navin Nischol and Rekha. The other cast of note in the film are Jayshree T., Iftekhar and Ranjeet. The music is by So ...
'' (1970) established her as a rising star, but despite the success of several of her early films, she was often panned in the press for her looks and weight. Motivated by criticism, she started working on her appearance and put effort into improving her acting technique and command of the Hindi language, resulting in a well-publicised transformation. Early recognition in 1978 for her performances in ''
Ghar'' and ''
Muqaddar Ka Sikandar
''Muqaddar Ka Sikandar'' () is a 1978 Indian drama film produced and directed by Prakash Mehra, and written by Kader Khan, Vijay Kaul and Laxmikant Sharma. It stars Amitabh Bachchan, in his fifth of nine films with Prakash Mehra to date, along w ...
'' marked the beginning of the most successful period of her career, and she was one of Hindi cinema's leading stars through most of the 1980s and early 1990s.
For her performance in the comedy ''
Khubsoorat
''Khubsoorat'' (transl. Beautiful) is a 1980 Indian Hindi-language comedy-drama film, directed and produced by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, co-produced by N. C. Sippy with dialogues written by Gulzar. The movie stars Ashok Kumar, Rekha, Rakesh Roshan, ...
'' (1980), Rekha received her first
Filmfare Award for Best Actress
The Filmfare Award for Best Actress is given by ''Filmfare'' as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise the female actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role. The award was first given in 1954 ...
. She followed it with roles in ''
Baseraa
''Baseraa'' is an Indian Bollywood film. The film was produced by Ramesh Behl, and directed by Ramesh Talwar. The film based on Marathi novel by Leela Phansalkar. It stars Shashi Kapoor, Raakhee, Rekha, Raj Kiran, Poonam Dhillon in lead roles ...
'' (1981), ''
Ek Hi Bhool
''Ek Hi Bhool'' () is a 1981 Indian Hindi-language drama film, produced by A. Purnachandra Rao under the Lakshmi Productions banner and directed by T. Rama Rao. The film stars Jeetendra and Rekha, with music composed by Laxmikant–Pyarelal. It ...
'' (1981), ''
Jeevan Dhaara
''Jeevan Dhaara'' is a 1982 Indian Hindi-language film directed by T. Rama Rao. The film is a remake of the 1974 Tamil film ''Aval Oru Thodar Kathai''. The film stars Rekha, Raj Babbar, Rakesh Roshan, Amol Palekar, Kanwaljit Singh and Simple K ...
'' (1982) and ''
Agar Tum Na Hote
''Agar Tum Na Hote'' () is a 1983 Indian Bollywood drama film directed by Lekh Tandon and starring Rajesh Khanna, Rekha and Raj Babbar in leading roles. Lekh Tandon received the Best Director Award for this film in Filmfans Association of Indi ...
'' (1983). While mostly prolific in popular Hindi cinema, during this time she ventured into
parallel cinema
Parallel cinema, or New Indian Cinema, is a film movement in Indian cinema that originated in the state of West Bengal in the 1950s as an alternative to the mainstream commercial Indian cinema.
Inspired by Italian Neorealism, Parallel Cinema ...
, a movement of neo-realist
arthouse
An art film (or arthouse film) is typically an independent film, aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience. It is "intended to be a serious, artistic work, often experimental and not designed for mass appeal", "made primarily ...
films. These films included dramas such as ''
Kalyug'' (1981), ''
Vijeta'' (1982) and ''
Utsav
''Utsav'' (Hindi: उत्सव; English: Festival) is a 1984 Hindi erotic drama film, produced by Shashi Kapoor and directed by Girish Karnad. The film is based on play '' Mrichakatika'' ('' The Little Clay Cart'') by Śūdraka.
The film s ...
'' (1984), and her portrayal of a classical courtesan in ''
Umrao Jaan'' (1981) won her the
National Film Award for Best Actress
The National Film Award for Best Actress (officially known as the Rajat Kamal Award for the Best Actress) is an honour presented annually at the National Film Awards of India since 1968 to an actress for the best performance in a leading role wi ...
. After a short setback in the mid 1980s, she was among the actresses who led a new trend of women-centred revenge films, starting with ''
Khoon Bhari Maang
''Khoon Bhari Maang'' () is a 1988 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film directed and produced by Rakesh Roshan. Based on the Australian mini-series ''Return to Eden'' (1983), it stars Rekha as a wealthy widow who is almost killed by her sec ...
'' (1988), for which she won a second Best Actress award at Filmfare.
Her work was much less prolific in subsequent decades. Her roles in early 1990s mostly met with lukewarm reviews. In 1996, she played against
type in the role of an underworld don in the action thriller ''
Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi
''Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi'' ( ''Player of Players'') is a 1996 Indian Hindi-language action film starring Rekha in her first villain role, Akshay Kumar, Raveena Tandon and former WWF (now WWE) wrestlers "Crush" and Brian Lee as "The Undertaker" ...
'' (1996), for which she won a third Filmfare Award in the
Best Supporting Actress category, and further appeared in ''
Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love'' (1996) and ''
Aastha: In the Prison of Spring'' (1997) to critical acclaim but some public scrutiny. During the 2000s, she was praised for her supporting roles in the 2001 dramas ''
Zubeidaa
''Zubeidaa'' is a 2001 Indian film directed by Shyam Benegal and written by Khalid Mohammed. It stars Karisma Kapoor, Rekha, Manoj Bajpayee, Surekha Sikri, Rajit Kapoor, Lillete Dubey, Amrish Puri, Farida Jalal, and Shakti Kapoor. A.R. Rah ...
'' and ''
Lajja'', and started playing mother roles, among which was her role in the science fiction ''
Koi... Mil Gaya'' (2003) and its superhero sequel ''
Krrish
''Krrish'' () is a 2006 Indian Hindi-language superhero film directed and produced by Rakesh Roshan. It stars Hrithik Roshan and Priyanka Chopra while Naseeruddin Shah, Rekha, Manini Mishra, Archana Puran Singh and Sharat Saxena feature in ...
'' (2006), both commercial successes. The lattermost emerged as her highest-grossing release.
Apart from acting, Rekha has served as a member for the
Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha, constitutionally the Council of States, is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of India. , it has a maximum membership of 245, of which 233 are elected by the legislatures of the states and union territories using si ...
since 2012. Her private life and public image have been the subject of frequent media interest and discussion. 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, culminating in their starring film ''
Silsila'' (1981), which was reflective of media projections. Her only marriage to the
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders ...
-based industrialist and television manufacturer Mukesh Agarwal in March 1990 ended seven months later when he died by suicide. 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.
Early life and work
![Rekha as an infant](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/Rekha_as_an_infant.png)
Rekha was born Bhanurekha Ganesan in
Madras (present-day Chennai) on 10 October 1954 to South Indian actors
Gemini Ganesan
Ramasamy Ganesan (17 November 1920 – 22 March 2005), better known by his stage name Gemini Ganesan, was an Indian actor who worked mainly in Tamil cinema. He was referred to as the ''Kaadhal Mannan'' (King of Romance) for his romantic roles ...
and
Pushpavalli, when the couple were unmarried.
Ganesan was previously married to T. R. "Bobjima" Alamelu and had four children: the
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...
-based radiation oncologist Revathi Swaminathan, the gynecologist
Kamala Selvaraj, ''
The Times of India
''The Times of India'', also known by its abbreviation ''TOI'', is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group. It is the third-largest newspaper in India by circulation and largest ...
'' journalist Narayani Ganesan, and the medical doctor Jaya Shreedhar.
He had two more children with actress
Savitri—Vijaya Chamundeswari, a fitness expert, and Sathish Kumaar.
Meanwhile, Pushpavalli had two children (Babuji and Rama) from her earlier marriage to the lawyer I. V. Rangachari. Ganesan and Pushpavalli had another daughter, Radha (born 1955).
Nagaprasad and the actress
Shubha are her cousins, while
Vedantam Raghavayya
Vedantam Raghavayya ( te, వేదాంతం రాఘవయ్య) (8 June 1919 – 1971) was an Indian film director, dance choreographer, Kuchipudi exponent, actor, producer, and musician known for his works in Telugu cinema, Telugu thea ...
and his wife Suryaprabha are her uncle and aunt, respectively. Rekha's mother tongue is
Telugu
Telugu may refer to:
* Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India
*Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India
* Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language
** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode
S ...
, and she is fluent in Hindi and English, having revealed she thinks in the latter.
Rekha did not reveal her family background until mid-1970s. During her unstable childhood, her relationship with her father Ganesan was poor. Ganesan did not want to recognize her as his daughter and give her a living.
He rarely met both of his children with Pushpavalli, who subsequently married K. Prakash, a cinematographer from Madras, and she legally changed her name to K. Pushpavalli. She gave birth to two more children, Dhanalakshmi (who later married to the actor
Tej Sapru
Tej Sapru (born 5 January 1955) is an Indian actor. He is the son of D. K. Sapru and Hemvati, both of whom were actors in the Hindi film industry. He has appeared in a number of Bollywood films of between the 1980s and 2010s, including ''Gupt'', ...
) and the dancer Seshu (died 21 May 1991).
Due to her mother's hectic acting schedule at the time, Rekha would often stay with her grandmother. Asked in an interview by
Simi Garewal
Simi Garewal (born Simrita Garewal; 17 October 1947) is an Indian actress, director, producer and a talk show host. She is the recipient of two Filmfare awards and an ITA Award. She is known for her work in Hindi films like ''Do Badan'', '' Saa ...
about her father, Rekha believed he was never even aware of her existence.
She recalled that her mother often spoke about him and added that despite never having lived with him, she felt his presence all through.
Even so, the relationship started to improve five years after Pushpavalli died in 1991.
He told a ''
Cine Blitz
''Cine Blitz'' is a Hindi and English film magazine published every month from Mumbai about Bollywood, Hindi cinema. Started in December 1974, as of 2006, it was one of the top three film magazines in India.
''Cine Blitz'' belongs to E.N. Commu ...
'' interviewer of his happiness about this and stated, "Rekha and I have such a good rapport. We are really close." He died in 2005.
Rekha was one year old when she played a small role in the Telugu-language drama ''
Inti Guttu''. Directed by
Vedantam Raghavayya
Vedantam Raghavayya ( te, వేదాంతం రాఘవయ్య) (8 June 1919 – 1971) was an Indian film director, dance choreographer, Kuchipudi exponent, actor, producer, and musician known for his works in Telugu cinema, Telugu thea ...
, the film was released in late 1958 and became a commercial success. She was enrolled at a
kindergarten
Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th ce ...
when she was at the age of three and next joined the Presentation Convent School in Madras during her adolescence.
She also met Narayani, Ganesan and Aramelu's second daughter, at the school when the latter was around nine or ten years old. Always an awkward and lonely girl, she admitted that she experienced
childhood obesity. In a 1990 interview to ''
The Illustrated Weekly of India
''The Illustrated Weekly of India'' was an English-language weekly newsmagazine publication in India. It started publication in 1880 (as ''Times of India'' Weekly Edition; later renamed as ''The Illustrated Weekly of India'' in 1923) and ceasin ...
'', she called herself as "the fattest girl in the school". In this period, she developed a love for dances and sports, although never participated in them due to her weight.
Because of this, she was bullied by many of her schoolmates, who called her ''lotta'' (Tamil for "bastard"). Rekha, describing herself as a "firm believer" in God and destiny, used to spend her time at the school's
chapel
A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common ty ...
.
Another brief screen role came with the release of ''
Rangula Ratnam'' (1966)—a political satire which was popular among the audience—co-starring Pushpavalli and sister Radha.
According to her biographer
Yasser Usman
Yasser Usman (born 1980s) is an Indian television journalist, news presenter, and biographer. Born in Moradabad, Yasser began his career by working as a television presenter and was awarded the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journali ...
, Rekha was asked by Pushpavalli to start an acting career when their family faced financial troubles in 1968, as the latter was sure that it would help them.
Although never had interest for acting, Rekha (who was initially aspired to be a flight attendant) obeyed her desire and, at the age of 13 to 14—while she was in ninth grade—she dropped out from school to start a full-time career in acting; she later regretted not having completed her education. A protective sister, she did not let her younger sister Radha to join her, because she wanted Radha to finish hers.
Film career
Early roles (1968–1970)
In late 1968, the
Nairobi
Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper h ...
-based businessman Kuljeet Pal visited
Gemini Studios
Gemini Studios was an Indian film studio based in Madras, Tamil Nadu. It was launched when S. S. Vasan, a businessman of many ventures (including the ownership of Ananda Vikatan) bought Motion Picture Producers' Combines from Krishnaswamy Sub ...
to search a newcomer for his new project ''
Anjana Safar'' (an adaption of
H. Rider Haggard's 1885 novel ''
King Solomon's Mines
''King Solomon's Mines'' (1885) is a popular novel by the English Victorian adventure writer and fabulist Sir H. Rider Haggard. It tells of a search of an unexplored region of Africa by a group of adventurers led by Allan Quatermain for the ...
''). He spotted Rekha at the studio and cast her as the film's second female lead after
Vanisri
Vanisri (born Rathna Kumari) is an Indian actress known for her works predominantly in Telugu, Tamil, and Kannada films. In a film career spanning 40 years, she has received three Filmfare Awards South, the Nandi Awards and the Tamil Nadu S ...
. Pal went to Pushpavalli's house to give Rekha a screen test, dictating a number of sentences in Hindi, which were rewrote by Rekha in
Latin script
The Latin script, also known as Roman script, is an alphabetic writing system based on the letters of the classical Latin alphabet, derived from a form of the Greek alphabet which was in use in the ancient Greek city of Cumae, in southern I ...
, and then told her to memorize it. A few moments later, Rekha said the sentences completely and Pal was impressed of her native Hindi-speaker-like voice. He gave her a five-year contract to star in four films from him and his brother Shatrujeet Pal each.
Rekha moved to
Bombay
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second-m ...
(present-day Mumbai) in 1969 and rented a room at the Hotel Ajanta in the city's neighbourhood
Juhu
Juhu (Pronunciation: ͡ʒuɦuː is a posh and upmarket neighbourhood of Mumbai. It is known for the sprawling Juhu Beach. It is surrounded by the Arabian Sea to the west, Versova to the north, Vile Parle to the east and Santacruz to the south ...
, with Pal paying off the fee. Also that year, she announced her debut to public and the media, and the successful
Kannada
Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...
film ''
Operation Jackpot Nalli C.I.D 999'' with
Dr. Rajkumar
Singanalluru Puttaswamaiah Muthuraj (24 April 1929 – 12 April 2006), better known by his stage name Dr. Rajkumar, was an Indian actor and singer who worked in Kannada cinema. Regarded as one of the greatest actors in the history of Indian ci ...
, where she features as a lead for the first time, was released.
In ''Anjana Safar'', directed by
Raja Nawathe
Raja Nawathe (; 14 October 1924 – 15 November 2005) was an Indian film producer, director, assistant film director, in Bombay's Hindi film industry, long before it came to be known as Bollywood. He is known for films like Raj Kapoor-Narg ...
, she played Sunita, a woman forced by her father to travel to Africa in search of a hidden treasure. She was paid for her work.
Since her mother fell ill at the time, Rekha was accompanied by her aunt to the shooting, which started in August that year at
Mehboob Studio
Mehboob Studio is an Indian film studio and recording studio in Bandra (W), Mumbai, founded in 1954 by director and producer Mehboob Khan, who previously owned Mehboob Productions (founded 1942), and is most known for films such as '' Mother In ...
. A controversy arose around a kissing scene featuring Rekha and male lead
Biswajit Chatterjee
Biswajit Chatterjee (born 14 December 1936), known mononymously as Biswajit, is an Indian actor, producer, director, singer and politician known for his work in Hindi and Bengali cinema.
Early career
After films in Calcutta including ''May ...
, of which she was not notified as Nawathe wanted to maintain her natural reaction. In later years, Rekha complained at having been tricked into the scene. The film ran into censorship problems and would not be released until 1979, when it was retitled ''Do Shikaari''.
The kissing scene made it to the cover of the Asian edition of ''
Life
Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for Cell growth, growth, reaction to Stimu ...
'' magazine in April 1970. This prompted the American journalist James Shephard to travel to India to interview Rekha, which she saw as an opportunity to boost her career and express her complaint. ''Do Shikaari'' underperformed at the box office.
Soon after her move in 1969 to Bombay, Rekha was signed by the producer and director Mohan Sehgal for his film, ''
Sawan Bhadon
''Sawan Bhadon'' is a 1970 Bollywood film produced and directed by Mohan Segal. The film was the debut film for its lead pair Navin Nischol and Rekha. The other cast of note in the film are Jayshree T., Iftekhar and Ranjeet. The music is by So ...
'', and the filming started on 11 October. He cast her as Chanda, a village girl who does not receive approval from her parents to marry her lover (
Navin Nischol
Navin Nischol (18 March 1946 – 19 March 2011) was an Indian actor. He made his debut with the Hindi film ''Sawan Bhadon'' in 1970. In 1996 he worked in Pyar Zindagi Hai along with Rita Bhaduri and Raj Mohammed. The film was shot in Hyderabad. ...
). Although her hair was already long and thick, Sehgal forced her to wear a
wig
A wig is a head or hair accessory made from human hair, animal hair, or synthetic fiber. The word wig is short for periwig, which makes its earliest known appearance in the English language in William Shakespeare's ''The Two Gentlemen of Verona' ...
. Hence, it did not fit on her hair and her hairdressers had to shave her hair to almost bald. She was not fluent in Hindi at the time and most of the film's crew mocked her for having South Indian background. Marking her Hindi debut, ''Sawan Bhadon'' was released in September 1970 and became a commercial success. Film reviewers scorned her looks, but complimented her confidence and comic timing in the film.
Manoj Das
Manoj Das (27 February 1934 – 27 April 2021) was an Indian author who wrote in Odia and English. In 2000, Manoj Das was awarded the Saraswati Samman. He was awarded Padma Shri in 2001, the fourth-highest Civilian Award in India, Padma Bhus ...
believed that "embarrassment" was shown on Nischol's face in every scenes with Rekha, and ''Film World'' magazine noted the film's success was a breakthrough for her career. ''Amma Kosam'', a Telugu drama from the director
Kolli Pratyagatma
K. Pratyagatma (born Kolli Kotayya Pratyagatma), also known as K. P. Atma (b: 31 October 1925 - d: 8 June 2001) was an Indian film journalist, director and producer known for his works in Telugu cinema, Telugu and Bollywood, Hindi cinema. He has ...
, was released in the end of the year, and she dedicated it to her mother.
Work in the 1970s (1971–1977)
Rekha subsequently got several offers but nothing of substance, as her roles were mostly just of a glamour girl. 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. She appeared in several commercially successful films at the time, including ''
Raampur Ka Lakshman
''Raampur Ka Lakshman'' is a 1972 Indian Hindi-language romance drama film directed by Manmohan Desai. The film was remade in 1978 in Tamil, titled as ''Mangudi Minor''.
Synopsis
Kedarnath Bhargav, his wife, Laxmi, and two sons, Ram and Laksh ...
'' (1972), ''
Kahani Kismat Ki
''Kahani Kismat Ki'' (The story of destiny) is a 1973 Hindi film produced and directed by Arjun Hingorani. The film's success prodded the director to try to recreate its success by continuing with its lead actor and film titles having 3 words st ...
'' (1973), and ''
Pran Jaye Par Vachan Na Jaye
''Pran Jaye Per Vachan Na Jaye'' () is a 1974 Hindi-language action film directed by S. Ali Raza. It stars Sunil Dutt, Rekha, Bindu, Ranjeet, Jeevan, Madan Puri, Premnath, Iftekhar, Jayshree T. The music is by O. P. Nayyar.
Plot
Raja Thakur ( ...
'' (1974), yet she was not regarded for her acting abilities and—according to the author
Tejaswini Ganti
Tejaswini Ganti is an Indian anthropological and film scholar and associate professor at the New York University, specializing in South Asian culture. She is an alumna from the University of Pennsylvania, the Northwestern University, and the New ...
—"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."
In 1975, she appears in the war film ''
Aakraman
''Aakraman'' () is a 1975 Hindi war film, produced by Jagdish Kumar and directed by J. Om Prakash. The war film stars Ashok Kumar, Sanjeev Kumar, Rekha, Rakesh Roshan, Farida Jalal, Sujit Kumar, Asrani, Keshto Mukherjee, Mumtaz Shanti and Raj ...
'' as
Rakesh Roshan
Rakesh Roshan (born 6 September 1949) is an Indian film producer, director, screenwriter, and actor who works in Hindi films. He is the son of Indian music director Roshan and Indian Bengali singer Ira Roshan. He had appeared in 84 films thr ...
's wife Sheetal, a role
Qurratulain Hyder
Qurratulain Hyder (20 January 1927 – 21 August 2007) was an Indian Urdu novelist and short story writer, an academic, and a journalist. One of the most outstanding and influential literary names in Urdu literature, she is best known for ...
thought was
cliché and the critic labelled her "a clothes horse".
Randhir Kapoor
Randhir Raj Kapoor (born 15 February 1947) is an Indian actor, film producer and director who worked in Hindi cinema. He was an established actor of the 1970s and received two Filmfare Award nominations. However, his career declined in the ea ...
's ''
Dharam Karam'' is a drama about a
hoodlum
A hoodlum is a thug, usually in a group of misfits who are associated with crime or theft.
Early use
The earliest reference to the word "hoodlum" was in the December 14, 1866, ''San Francisco Daily Evening Bulletin'' after the Hoodlum Band was ...
and ''Link'' magazine noted that Rekha is the most "pathetic" part from the film. The mafia film ''
Dharmatma
''Dharmatma'' () is a 1975 Hindi thriller movie and the first Bollywood film to be shot in Afghanistan. It was produced and directed by Feroz Khan. The movie is the first attempt in India to localise ''The Godfather''. The cast includes Feroz ...
'' was her only financial success of the year. Directed by and starring
Feroz Khan, the film saw her in the part of Anu, Khan's childhood sweetheart.
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
gly ducklingof 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 merit."
The mid-1970s marked the beginning of her 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 for three months. 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
Khalid Mohamed is an Indian journalist, editing, editor, Film criticism, film critic, screenwriter and film director. He formerly worked for the ''Hindustan Times'' and was the lead editor for ''Filmfare'' magazine. He is the son of Bollywoo ...
, "The audience was floored when there was a swift change in her screen personality, as well as her style of acting." Rekha began choosing her film roles with more care.
Rekha's first performance-oriented role came in 1976 when she played
Amitabh Bachchan's ambitious and greedy wife in ''
Do Anjaane'';
it would be her first of many appearances with the actor.
Her role is Rekha Roy, the wife of Bachchan's character who becomes an established actress. Shooting took place in
Calcutta
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...
(present-day Kolkata) and was finished within a month; Rekha and the other cast and crew would stayed at the
Grand Hotel A grand hotel is a large and luxurious hotel, especially one housed in a building with traditional architectural style. It began to flourish in the 1800s in Europe and North America.
Grand Hotel may refer to:
Hotels Africa
* Grande Hotel Beir ...
. An adaptation of
Nihar Ranjan Gupta
Nihar Ranjan Gupta ( bn, নীহাররঞ্জন গুপ্ত, pen name: ''Banbhatta'' (বানভট্ট); 6 June 1911 – 20 February 1986) was an Indian dermatologist and a popular Bengali novelist. He is the creator of the fic ...
's novel ''Ratrir Yatri'', the film—directed by
Dulal Guha
Dulal Guha (1929–2001) was an Indian film director of Bollywood films in the 1960s and '70s. He was born in Barisal city. His father Ruhini Guha died when he was one month old after which he was cared for by his uncle Harendra Lal Guha.
He di ...
and scripted by
Nabendu Ghosh
Nabendu Ghosh (27 March 1917 – 15 December 2007) was an Indian author in Bengali literature, and screenwriter. He has written screenplays of classic Bollywood movies like, Sujata, Bandini, Devdas, Majhli Didi, Abhimaan and Teesri Kasam. He ...
—was popular among the audience and critics.
''Film World'' wrote that she has proved herself as a leading actress in Hindi cinema as filmmakers had started taking more notice of her and become more keen to cast her in their films. She remarked that it was difficult to stand in front of Bachchan, speaking of how she felt
paranoid
Paranoia is an instinct or thought process that is believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of delusion and irrationality. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy c ...
after she knew that he would star opposite her in the film.
She stated that he contributed to "dramatic changes" in her life and was a big influence in her adulthood, and described him "
omeoneI'd never seen before".
1977 was the third year when Rekha was consecutively gained one commercial success; the action crime ''
Khoon Pasina
''Khoon Pasina'' ( hi, खून पसीना, ''Blood and Sweat'') is a 1977 Hindi action crime film. The movie is produced by Baboo Mehra and directed by Rakesh Kumar. The movie stars Amitabh Bachchan, Vinod Khanna, Rekha, Nirupa Roy, Asran ...
'' emerged as the sixth-highest-grossing Indian film of the year. In the same year, she starred in the comedy-drama ''
Aap Ki Khatir'', opposite
Vinod Khanna
Vinod Khanna (6 October 1946 – 27 April 2017) was an Indian actor, film producer and politician who is best known for his work in Hindi films; while also being a notable spiritual seeker. In Bollywood, he was the recipient of two Filmfare awa ...
and
Nadira Nadira is a given name common in Asian countries. It may refer to
Given name
* Nadira (actress), an Indian actress of the 1950s and 1960s, best known for her roles as a temptress
* Nadira (Pakistani actress), Pakistani actress in Punjabi and Urdu ...
. Her role as the poor girl won her awards from a number of film journalists' associations.
In a retrospective review for ''
The Hindu
''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the secon ...
'', the sport journalist and film critic
Vijay Lokapally
Vijay Lokapally is an Indian sport journalist and author. He started his career when he joined the ''Patriot'' newspaper in 1981, and later moved to The Hindu Group (writing for its publication ''The Hindu'' and ''Sportstar'') from 1986. He is ba ...
presumed that Rekha's role was challenging for her and appreciated her chemistry with Khanna; a ''Link'' reviewer praised its social themes. ''Film World'' awarded her with the Best Actress trophy for her work in ''
Immaan Dharam
''Immaan Dharam'' () is a 1977 Bollywood action drama film, written by Salim–Javed (Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar), directed by Desh Mukherjee and produced by Premji. The film stars Shashi Kapoor, Sanjeev Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha, Aparna ...
'', an action film that received mixed critical reviews. It features her as Durga, a Tamilian labourer who falls for the thief Mohan Kumar-Saxena (
Shashi Kapoor).
''Cine Blitz'' praised Rekha for proving her talent in acting.
Turning point, stardom, and parallel cinema (1978–1984)
Rekha's turning point came in 1978, with her portrayal of a rape victim in the social drama ''
Ghar''. She plays Aarti, a newly married woman who gets gravely traumatized after being gang-raped. The film follows her character's struggle and traumatised with the help of her husband (
Vinod Mehra
Vinod Mehra (13 February 1945 – 30 October 1990) was an Indian actor in Indian films. He started out as a child actor in the late 1950s before starting his film career as an adult in 1971. He acted in over 100 films from the 1970s through to h ...
).
The film was considered her first notable milestone, and her performance was acclaimed by both critics and audiences.
Dinesh Raheja
Dinesh Raheja (born 31 March 1957) is an Indian author, columnist, TV scriptwriter, film historian. Raheja has been writing on cinema for over 40 years. In his long and prolific career as a writer, he has worked as the Editor of ''Movie magazine' ...
elaborated, "''Ghar'' heralded the arrival of a mature Rekha. Her archetypal jubilance was replaced by her very realistic portrayal..."
She received her first nomination for
Best Actress
Best Actress is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organisations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actresses in a film, television series, television film or play. The first Best Actress aw ...
at the
Filmfare Awards.
In that same year, her another release, ''
Muqaddar Ka Sikandar
''Muqaddar Ka Sikandar'' () is a 1978 Indian drama film produced and directed by Prakash Mehra, and written by Kader Khan, Vijay Kaul and Laxmikant Sharma. It stars Amitabh Bachchan, in his fifth of nine films with Prakash Mehra to date, along w ...
'', emerged as 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.
The film opened to a positive critical reception, and Rekha's brief role as a ''
tawaif
A ''tawaif'' was a highly successful entertainer who catered to the nobility of the Indian subcontinent, particularly during the Mughal era. The tawaifs excelled in and contributed to music, dance ( mujra), theatre, and the Urdu literary tradi ...
'' named Zohrabai earned her a
Best Supporting Actress nomination at the Filmfare.
M. L. Dhawan of ''
The Tribune ''The Tribune'' or ''Tribune'' is the name of various newspapers:
United States Daily California
*'' Oakland Tribune''
* ''The Tribune'' (San Luis Obispo)
*''San Gabriel Valley Tribune''
Indiana
*'' Kokomo Tribune''
*'' Peru Tribune''
* ''The Tri ...
'' noted her "smouldering intensity".
Rekha recalled this phase as a period of self-discovery. Other films that year include ''
Karmayogi''.
Following ''Do Anjaane'', speculation about a love affair with her co-star Amitabh Bachchan generated.
Filmmakers at the time saw this as an opportunity to publicise their films by exploiting their alleged affair on-screen, as done in ''
Mr. Natwarlal'' and ''
Suhaag''—both 1979 releases. In ''Mr. Natwarlal'', an action romance set in
Calcutta
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...
, Rekha portrays the simple, village woman Shanoo to good reviews. The next two years were even more successful. In 1980, Rekha starred in the comedy ''
Khubsoorat
''Khubsoorat'' (transl. Beautiful) is a 1980 Indian Hindi-language comedy-drama film, directed and produced by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, co-produced by N. C. Sippy with dialogues written by Gulzar. The movie stars Ashok Kumar, Rekha, Rakesh Roshan, ...
'' by
Hrishikesh Mukherjee
Hrishikesh Mukherjee (30 September 1922 – 27 August 2006) was an Indian film director, editor and writer. He is regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers of Indian cinema. Popularly known as ''Hrishi-da'', he directed 42 films during his ca ...
. In a role written specially for her, she played Manju Dayal, a young vivacious woman who visits her recently married sister and tries to bring joy to the wide family, much to the dissatisfaction of the matriarch of the household. Rekha said she easily identified with the bubbly nature of her character, calling it "quite a bit me". ''Khubsoorat'', and Rekha's performance in it, were well received by reviewers, and the film was a financial success.
At the Filmfare Awards, the film was named
Best Film
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
and Rekha won her first
Best Actress
Best Actress is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organisations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actresses in a film, television series, television film or play. The first Best Actress aw ...
award.
''The Tribune'' lauded Rekha's "spunky performance" for giving the film "its natural zing". ''
Maang Bharo Sajana'' and ''
Judaai'', both directed by
T. Rama Rao, brought her further critical attention.
During this period, Rekha was willing to expand her range beyond what she was given in mainstream films and started working in
parallel cinema
Parallel cinema, or New Indian Cinema, is a film movement in Indian cinema that originated in the state of West Bengal in the 1950s as an alternative to the mainstream commercial Indian cinema.
Inspired by Italian Neorealism, Parallel Cinema ...
, a movement of Indian neo-realist
art films
An art film (or arthouse film) is typically an independent film, aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience. It is "intended to be a serious, artistic work, often experimental and not designed for mass appeal", "made primarily f ...
. These films include ''
Kalyug'' (1981), ''
Umrao Jaan'' (1981), ''
Vijeta'' (1982), ''
Utsav
''Utsav'' (Hindi: उत्सव; English: Festival) is a 1984 Hindi erotic drama film, produced by Shashi Kapoor and directed by Girish Karnad. The film is based on play '' Mrichakatika'' ('' The Little Clay Cart'') by Śūdraka.
The film s ...
'' (1984) and ''
Ijaazat
''Ijaazat'' () is an 1987 Indian Hindi-language musical romance film directed by Gulzar, based on a Bengali story, ''Jatugriha'' by Subodh Ghosh. Starring Rekha, Naseeruddin Shah and Anuradha Patel in leading roles, the film followed the story ...
'' (1987). ''Umrao Jaan'', a film adaptation of
Mirza Hadi Ruswa
Mirza Muhammad Hadi Ruswa (1857 – 21 October 1931) was an Indian Urdu poet and writer of fiction, plays, and treatises (mainly on religion, philosophy, and astronomy). He served on the Nawab of Awadh's advisory board on language matters for ...
's
novel ''
Umrao Jaan Ada
''Umrao Jaan Ada'' ( ur, ) is an Urdu novel by Mirza Hadi Ruswa (1857–1931), first published in 1899. It is considered the first Urdu novel by many '' (1905), saw Rekha in the title role of the poet and
hooker with a heart of gold
The hooker with a heart of gold is a stock character involving a courtesan or prostitute who possesses virtues such as integrity, generosity and kindness.
Characteristics
The character type is defined by morally positive traits, which are contra ...
from
Lucknow
Lucknow (, ) is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is also the second largest urban agglomeration in Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and division ...
in the 1840s. Made on a lavish production cost, the film follows Umrao's life story from her childhood as a girl named Amiran who is kidnapped and sold in a brothel to her position years later as a popular courtesan who seeks happiness amid love affairs and other tribulations. In preparation for the part, Rekha, who at the beginning of her career did not speak Hindi, took the task of learning the finer nuances of the Urdu language.
Rekha was widely applauded for her performance, which has since been cited as one of her best work. Balu Bharatan of ''
The Illustrated Weekly of India
''The Illustrated Weekly of India'' was an English-language weekly newsmagazine publication in India. It started publication in 1880 (as ''Times of India'' Weekly Edition; later renamed as ''The Illustrated Weekly of India'' in 1923) and ceasin ...
'' wrote of her "unexplored reserves of histronic strength". She was awarded the
National Film Award for Best Actress
The National Film Award for Best Actress (officially known as the Rajat Kamal Award for the Best Actress) is an honour presented annually at the National Film Awards of India since 1968 to an actress for the best performance in a leading role wi ...
. She later claimed that the film was a turning point.
Rekha's alleged love affair speculation with Amitabh Bachchan culminated when they starred together in
Yash Chopra
Yash Raj Chopra (27 September 1932 21 October 2012) was an Indian film director and film producer who worked in Hindi cinema. The founding chairman of the film production and distribution company Yash Raj Films, Chopra was the recipient of ...
's romantic drama ''
Silsila''.
It was the most scandalous of their films together as it reflected the rumours by the press: Rekha played Bachchan's lover, while Bachchan's real-life wife
Jaya Bachchan
Jaya Bachchan (''née'' Bhaduri; born 9 April 1948) is an Indian actress and politician. She is a member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha from the Samajwadi Party, serving four terms since 2004. Known primarily for her work in Hindi and Bengali ...
played his wife.
The film was filmed secretly during 1980–1981, with Chopra not allowing the media to visit the shooting. ''Silsila'' was regarded by many journalists as "a casting coup", and this was the last collaboration between Rekha and Bachchan.
The film premiered in July 1981 to critical and commercial failure, and Chopra attributed this to the casting, feeling the audience's attention was strictly focused on the speculation rather than the plot.
''
India Today
''India Today'' is a weekly Indian English-language news magazine published by Living Media India Limited. It is the most widely circulated magazine in India, with a readership of close to 8 million. In 2014, ''India Today'' launched a new o ...
'' Sunil Sethi saw that Rekha was "as synthetic as
mitabh Bachchan'stiresome chauvinism".
Other films starring her that year include
Ramesh Talwar
Ramesh Talwar is an Indian film, theatre, television and film director, co-producer and actor. He is the nephew of the film writer, short story writer and playwright Sagar Sarhadi. Talwar began his career as a child artist in ''Love in Simla' ...
's ''
Baseraa
''Baseraa'' is an Indian Bollywood film. The film was produced by Ramesh Behl, and directed by Ramesh Talwar. The film based on Marathi novel by Leela Phansalkar. It stars Shashi Kapoor, Raakhee, Rekha, Raj Kiran, Poonam Dhillon in lead roles ...
'', T. Rama Rao's ''
Ek Hi Bhool
''Ek Hi Bhool'' () is a 1981 Indian Hindi-language drama film, produced by A. Purnachandra Rao under the Lakshmi Productions banner and directed by T. Rama Rao. The film stars Jeetendra and Rekha, with music composed by Laxmikant–Pyarelal. It ...
'' (a remake of the 1981 Tamil film ''
Mouna Geethangal
''Mouna Geethangal'' () is a 1981 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film written and directed by K. Bhagyaraj. The film stars Bhagyaraj himself alongside Saritha, with S. Krishnamoorthy and Master Suresh in supporting roles. It revolves a ...
'') and
Saawan Kumar Tak
Saawan Kumar Tak (9 August 1936 – 25 August 2022) was an Indian film director, producer, and lyricist. He directed many Hindi films, including successful films like '' Saajan Bina Suhagan'', ''Souten'', '' Souten Ki Beti'', '' Sanam Bewafa'', ...
's ''Saajan Ki Saheli'', all box-office successes. She received another Filmfare Best Actress nomination for ''
Jeevan Dhaara
''Jeevan Dhaara'' is a 1982 Indian Hindi-language film directed by T. Rama Rao. The film is a remake of the 1974 Tamil film ''Aval Oru Thodar Kathai''. The film stars Rekha, Raj Babbar, Rakesh Roshan, Amol Palekar, Kanwaljit Singh and Simple K ...
'' (1982), in which she played a young unmarried woman who is the sole breadwinner of her extended family.
Among her work in art films,
Shyam Benegal's ''Kalyug'' is a modern-day adaptation of the Indian mythological epic ''
Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the s ...
'', depicted as an archetypal conflict between rival business houses. Rekha's role Supriya is based on
Draupadi. Benegal cast her in the role after seeing her work in ''Khubsoorat'' and took further note of her being "very keen, very serious about her profession".
Critic and author
Vijay Nair described her performance as "a masterful interpretation of the modern Draupadi".
Madhu Trehan
Madhu Purie Trehan (born 1940s) is an Indian journalist. She is also the co-founder and editor-in-chief of a digital media portal called ''Newslaundry''.
Education
Trehan studied at Welham Girls' School in Dehradun, graduating in 1962. In 196 ...
complimented her for playing "flawlessly" the part of "a woman of intelligence, strength and a barely suppressed yearning for her young brother-in-law". The 1982
coming-of-age film
Coming of age is a young person's transition from being a child to being an adult. The specific age at which this transition takes place varies between societies, as does the nature of the change. It can be a simple legal convention or can ...
''Vijeta'' saw her as Neelima 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. She has since described the role as one of her favourite.
In
Girish Karnad
Girish Karnad (19 May 1938 – 10 June 2019) was an Indian actor, film director, Kannada writer, playwright and a Jnanpith awardee, who predominantly worked in South Indian cinema and Bollywood. His rise as a playwright in the 1960s marked the ...
's erotic drama ''Utsav'', based on
Śūdraka
Shudraka ( IAST: ) was an Indian playwright, to whom three Sanskrit plays are attributed: '' Mrichchhakatika'' (''The Little Clay Cart''), ''Vinavasavadatta'', and a ''bhana'' (short one-act monologue), ''Padmaprabhritaka''.Bhattacharji, Sukumari ...
's
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
play ''
Mṛcchakatika
''Mṛcchakatika'' ( sa, Mṛcchakaṭikam मृच्छकटिकम्), also spelled ''Mṛcchakaṭikā'', ''Mrchchhakatika'', ''Mricchakatika'', or ''Mrichchhakatika'' (''The Little Clay Cart'') is a ten-act Sanskrit drama attributed ...
'' from the fourth century, she portrays the courtesan
Vasantasena
Vasantasena (Fifth century BC) was a courtesan of Ujjayini according to ancient Indian literature, who earned fame and prosperity due to her finesse in various art forms such as singing, dancing, poetry, and courting as well as for her beauty. She ...
and, for her performance, was acknowledged as the
Best Actress (Hindi) by the
Bengal Film Journalists' Association Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards commonly referred as BFJA Awards, is given by The Bengal Film Journalists' Association. The BFJA is the oldest association of film critics in India, founded in 1937 to serve the developing film journalism ...
. The film attracted wide coverage for its sensuality and Rekha's intimate scenes; she took this as a way to compete with female newcomers at the time. ''Utsav'' polarized both the audience and film reviewers with its script and direction; her work and costumes, however, were well received. A review in ''
Asiaweek
''Asiaweek'' was an English-language news magazine focusing on Asia, published weekly by Asiaweek Limited, a subsidiary of Time Inc. Based in Hong Kong, it was established in 1975, and ceased publication with its 7 December 2001 issue due to a ...
'' noted Rekha "dressed in little more than glittering jewellery". In 2003,
Maithili Rao
Maithili Rao is an Indian freelance film critic, writer, journalist and former English language, English lecturer based in Mumbai. She has worked for several publications, including ''The Hindu'', ''Frontline (magazine), Frontline'', ''Film Comm ...
wrote, "Rekha—forever the first choice for the courtesan's role, be it ancient Hindu India or 19th-century Muslim Lucknow—is all statuesque sensuality..." 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.
Setback and resurgence (1985–1989)
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 revenge films, the first of which was ''
Khoon Bhari Maang
''Khoon Bhari Maang'' () is a 1988 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film directed and produced by Rakesh Roshan. Based on the Australian mini-series ''Return to Eden'' (1983), it stars Rekha as a wealthy widow who is almost killed by her sec ...
'' in 1988. She won her second
Filmfare Award
The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Hindi-language film industry of India.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were first introduced by th ...
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." 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." M.L. Dhawan from ''
The Tribune ''The Tribune'' or ''Tribune'' is the name of various newspapers:
United States Daily California
*'' Oakland Tribune''
* ''The Tribune'' (San Luis Obispo)
*''San Gabriel Valley Tribune''
Indiana
*'' Kokomo Tribune''
*'' Peru Tribune''
* ''The Tri ...
'', 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." ''
Encyclopædia Britannica
The (Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various t ...
''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." In a similar list by ''
Screen
Screen or Screens may refer to:
Arts
* Screen printing (also called ''silkscreening''), a method of printing
* Big screen, a nickname associated with the motion picture industry
* Split screen (filmmaking), a film composition paradigm in which mul ...
'' magazine, the role was included as one of "ten memorable roles that made the Hindi film heroine proud."
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."
Career fluctuations and short revival (1990–1999)
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
Hema Malini (born 16 October 1948) is an Indian actress, director, producer, and politician. She is primarily known for her work in Hindi films. Known for starring in both comic and dramatic roles, she is one of the most popular and successful ...
and
Raakhee
Raakhee Gulzar (born Rakhee Majumdar on 15 August 1947 and known as Raakhee) is an Indian actress who has appeared in many Hindi films and Bengali films as well. In four decades of acting, she has won three Filmfare Awards and one National Fil ...
, 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.
The first year of the decade saw four releases featuring Rekha, including ''
Mera Pati Sirf Mera Hai
''Mera Pati Sirf Mera Hai'' () is a 1990 Indian Hindi-language drama film, produced by Nitin Kapoor and directed by Manobala. The film stars Jeetendra, Rekha and Raadhika, with music composed by Anand–Milind. It is a remake of Manobala's Ta ...
'' and ''
Amiri Garibi
''Amiri Garibi'' ( ''Wealth and Poverty'') is a 1990 Hindi-language drama film, produced by Pradeep Sharma under the TUTU Films banner and directed by Harmesh Malhotra. It stars Jeetendra, Rekha, Rishi Kapoor, Neelam, Raj Babbar, Poonam Dhillon ...
'', 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". ''The Indian Express'' wrote that she "rides horses, wields swords and does justice to the title in being phool (a flower) and becoming angaarey (burning coal)".
The public's acceptance of ''Phool Bane Angaray'' 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
''Ab Insaf Hoga'' is a 1995 Indian Hindi-language action film directed by Harish Shah, starring Mithun Chakraborty, Rekha, Rohini Hattangadi, Farooq Shaikh and Prem Chopra. The movie was released on 6 January 1995.
Plot
Janki (Rekha) lives a p ...
'' (1995) and ''
Udaan'' (1997), all of which were major duds. She followed with a dual role of twin sisters in
Shakti Samanta
Shakti Samanta (13 January 1926 – 9 April 2009) was an Indian film director and producer, who founded Shakti Films in 1957, which is most known for films such as ''Anand Ashram'' (1977), Anusandhan /'' Barsaat Ki Ek Raat'' (1981), ''anay abhi ...
's ''
Geetanjali
__NOTOC__
''Gitanjali'' ( bn, গীতাঞ্জলি, lit='Song offering') is a collection of poems by the Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore. Tagore received the Nobel Prize for Literature, for the English translation, Gitanjali:''Song Offer ...
'' opposite
Jeetendra
Ravi Kapoor ( ; born 7 April 1942), known mononymously by his screen name Jeetendra, is an Indian actor who is known for his work in Hindi cinema. He also serves as the chairman of the Balaji Telefilms and Balaji Motion Pictures.
Early lif ...
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.
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
''Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi'' ( ''Player of Players'') is a 1996 Indian Hindi-language action film starring Rekha in her first villain role, Akshay Kumar, Raveena Tandon and former WWF (now WWE) wrestlers "Crush" and Brian Lee as "The Undertaker" ...
'' (1996). ''Kama Sutra'', a foreign production directed by
Mira Nair
Mira Nair (born 15 October 1957) is an Indian-American filmmaker based in New York City. Her production company, Mirabai Films, specializes in films for international audiences on Indian society, whether in the economic, social or cultural spher ...
, was an erotic drama, and many felt her role of a
Kama Sutra
The ''Kama Sutra'' (; sa, कामसूत्र, , ; ) is an ancient Indian Sanskrit text on sexuality, eroticism and emotional fulfillment in life. Attributed to Vātsyāyana, the ''Kama Sutra'' is neither exclusively nor predominantly ...
teacher in the film would damage her career.
She was undeterred by the criticism.
Todd McCarthy
Todd McCarthy (born February 16, 1950) is an American film critic and author. He wrote for '' Variety'' for 31 years as its chief film critic until 2010. In October of that year, he joined ''The Hollywood Reporter'', where he subsequently served ...
of ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' described her as "exquisitely composed" in the part. ''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. It featured Rekha in her first negative role as Madam Maya, a 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
Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia (born 9 September 1967), known professionally as Akshay Kumar (), is an Indian-born naturalised Canadian Quote: "(Former prime minister Stephen) Harper campaigned in 2011 alongside one of Modi's biggest celebrity backer ...
. Her portrayal earned her several awards, including the
Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress
The Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress is given by ''Filmfare'' as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a female actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role. Although the Filmfare ...
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.
Another controversial film at that time was ''
Aastha: In the Prison of Spring'' (1997), where
Basu Bhattacharya
Basu Bhattacharya (1934–19 June 1997) was an Indian film director of Hindi films. He is perhaps best known for his 1966 film ''Teesri Kasam'', starring Raj Kapoor and Waheeda Rehman (based on the short story "Maare Gaye Gulfam" by Phanish ...
, making the last film of his career, cast her as a housewife who moonlights as a prostitute. Once again, she faced some scrutiny by sectors of the press and the audience for the nature of the part and for some of the explicit love scenes in the film. She later reacted: "...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."
Her performance earned her positive reviews and a
Star Screen Award nomination, with ''
India Today
''India Today'' is a weekly Indian English-language news magazine published by Living Media India Limited. It is the most widely circulated magazine in India, with a readership of close to 8 million. In 2014, ''India Today'' launched a new o ...
'' referring to her work as "her finest performance in years". She next acted in ''
Qila {{other uses
Qila ( ar, قلعة), alternatively transliterated as Kilaa, is an Arabic word meaning a fort or castle. The term is also used in various Indo-Iranian languages. Qila often occurs in place-names.
India
;Forts
* Aligarh Qila
* Rohtas ...
'' (1998) and ''
Mother
]
A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the case of ges ...
'' (1999).
Recognition for character roles (2000–2006)
In the 2000s, Rekha appeared in relatively few movies. She started the decade with ''
Bulandi (2000 film), Bulandi'', directed by
T. Rama Rao. The other was Khalid Muhammad's Zubeidaa, co starring Karisma Kapoor and Manoj Vajapayee playing the first wife Maharani Mandira Devi of the King.
In 2001, Rekha appeared in
Rajkumar Santoshi
Rajkumar Santoshi is an Indian film director, producer and screenwriter of Hindi films. Having received several accolades including three National Film Awards and six Filmfare Awards, he made his directorial debut with the crime film '' Ghayal' ...
's feminist drama ''
Lajja'', an ensemble piece inspired by a true incident of a woman being raped in Bawanipur two years before. The film follows the journey of a runaway wife (
Manisha Koirala
Manisha Koirala (; born 16 August 1970) is a Nepalese actress who works in Indian films, predominantly in Hindi and Tamil films and has also worked in few Telugu, Bengali, Malayalam, Nepali and English films. Known for her work in both commerci ...
) 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
Dalit (from sa, दलित, dalita meaning "broken/scattered"), also previously known as untouchable, is the lowest stratum of the castes in India. Dalits were excluded from the four-fold varna system of Hinduism and were seen as forming ...
village woman and social activist who becomes a victim of gangrape. Speaking of the film, Rekha commented, "I am Lajja and Lajja is me". Highly praised for her portrayal, she received several nominations for her work, including the
Filmfare Award
The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Hindi-language film industry of India.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were first introduced by th ...
and the
International Indian Film Academy Award
The International Indian Film Academy Awards, popularly known as the IIFA, is an annual awards event. Produced by Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd, the winners of the awards are decided by fans who vote online for actor from the I ...
(IIFA) for Best Supporting Actress.
Taran Adarsh
Taran Adarsh (born 13 June 1965) is an Indian film critic and trade analyst. He is best known for giving trade figures and box office updates on social media.
Career
Taran Adarsh started his journalism career at the age of 15 with ''Trade Gui ...
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."
In
Rakesh Roshan
Rakesh Roshan (born 6 September 1949) is an Indian film producer, director, screenwriter, and actor who works in Hindi films. He is the son of Indian music director Roshan and Indian Bengali singer Ira Roshan. He had appeared in 84 films thr ...
's science-fiction film ''
Koi... Mil Gaya'', Rekha played Sonia Mehra, a single mother to a
developmentally disabled
Developmental disability is a diverse group of chronic conditions, comprising mental or physical impairments that arise before adulthood. Developmental disabilities cause individuals living with them many difficulties in certain areas of life, espe ...
young man, played by
Hrithik Roshan
Hrithik Roshan (; born 10 January 1974) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi films. He has portrayed a variety of characters and is known for his dancing skills. One of the highest-paid actors in India, he has won many awards, including six ...
. 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. Rekha received another Best Supporting Actress nomination at the Filmfare for her performance, which
Khalid Mohamed
Khalid Mohamed is an Indian journalist, editing, editor, Film criticism, film critic, screenwriter and film director. He formerly worked for the ''Hindustan Times'' and was the lead editor for ''Filmfare'' magazine. He is the son of Bollywoo ...
described as "astutely restrained".
In 2005, Rekha guest starred in an item number in connection with the song "Kaisi Paheli Zindagani", in
Pradeep Sarkar
Pradeep Sarkar (born 30 April 1955) is a writer and director who works in Bollywood. He began his career with Vinod Chopra Productions, the production company of director and producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra.
Personal life
From a young boy lis ...
's "
Parineeta". In ''
Bachke Rehna Re Baba
''Bachke Rehna Re Baba'' () is a 2005 Bollywood adult comedy film directed by Govind Menon, starring Rekha, Paresh Rawal, Mallika Sherawat and Satish Shah.
Plot
Rukmini is well into her 40s and still unmarried. She lives with her orphaned niece ...
'' (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. ''
Mid-Day
''Mid-Day'' (stylised as mid-day) is a morning daily Indian compact newspaper owned by Jagran Prakashan Limited. Editions in various languages were published in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Pune. In 2011, the Delhi and Bangalore editions wer ...
'' 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". This was followed in 2006 by ''
Kudiyon Ka Hai Zamana
''Kudiyon Ka Hai Zamana'' (Translation: It's a Woman's World) is a Bollywood comedy film directed by Amur Batula. Released on 5 January 2006 it stars Mahima Chaudhry, Rekha and Ashmit Patel. Its central set up is of four female friends and their ...
'', 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." In a 2007 article by ''
Daily News and Analysis
''Zee Media Corporation Limited'' (abbreviated as ZMCL; formerly Zee News Limited) is the news broadcasting company of the Essel Group which is controlled by Subhash Chandra. The company is engaged mainly in the business of broadcasting of new ...
'', 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."
In 2006, she reprised the role of Sonia Mehra in ''
Krrish
''Krrish'' () is a 2006 Indian Hindi-language superhero film directed and produced by Rakesh Roshan. It stars Hrithik Roshan and Priyanka Chopra while Naseeruddin Shah, Rekha, Manini Mishra, Archana Puran Singh and Sharat Saxena feature in ...
'',
Rakesh Roshan
Rakesh Roshan (born 6 September 1949) is an Indian film producer, director, screenwriter, and actor who works in Hindi films. He is the son of Indian music director Roshan and Indian Bengali singer Ira Roshan. He had appeared in 84 films thr ...
'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. It received mostly positive notices from critics, and Rekha's work earned her another Filmfare nomination in the supporting category. Ronnie Scheib from ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' noted her for bringing "depth to her role as the nurturing grandmother".
Occasional work; hiatus (2007–present)
In 2007, she once again portrayed a courtesan in
Goutam Ghose
Goutam Ghose (also spelled Gautam Ghosh born 24 July 1950) is an Indian film director, Actor, music director and cinematographer, who works primarily in Bengali cinema. He is the only Indian to have received the "Vittorio Di Sica" Award, Italy ...
's ''
Yatra
( sa, यात्रा, 'journey', 'procession'), in Indian-origin religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, generally means a pilgrimage to holy places such as confluences of sacred rivers, sacred mountains, places associated ...
''. 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
Padma Shri ( IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is conf ...
, the 4th highest civilian award given by the
Government of India
The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...
.
Rekha has also been nominated as a Rajya Sabha member in 2012. Her tenure ended in 2018.
Rekha starred in the 2010 film ''
Sadiyaan
''Sadiyaan'' () is a Bollywood film released in 2010 which stars Luv Sinha, Feryna Wazheir, Rishi Kapoor, Hema Malini, Javed Sheikh and Rekha. The story is about a family during the partition of India. The film was directed by Raj Kanwar and i ...
'' alongside
Hema Malini
Hema Malini (born 16 October 1948) is an Indian actress, director, producer, and politician. She is primarily known for her work in Hindi films. Known for starring in both comic and dramatic roles, she is one of the most popular and successful ...
and
Rishi Kapoor
Rishi Raj Kapoor (4 September 1952 — 30 April 2020) was an Indian actor, film director and producer who worked in Hindi films. He was the recipient of several accolades, including four Filmfare Awards and a National Film Award.
Born into t ...
. The film marked the debut of
Shatrughan Sinha
Shatrughan Prasad Sinha (born 9 December 1945) is an Indian actor and politician. He is a Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha from Asansol constituency as a member of All India Trinamool Congress (TMC). Earlier he was elected as Member of Parliam ...
's son
Luv Sinha. The film failed to do well at the box office.
In 2014, Rekha was working on
Abhishek Kapoor
Abhishek Kapoor (born 6 August 1971) is an Indian film director and producer who works in Hindi cinema.
Career
He started his career as an actor in 1996 with movies ''Aashique Mastane'', opposite ''Monica Bedi'', directed by ''Ajay Kashyap'' an ...
's ''
Fitoor
''Fitoor'' (''Madness, Obsession, Passion'') is a 2016 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film directed by Abhishek Kapoor, produced by Siddharth Roy Kapur, and written by Kapoor and Supratik Sen based on Charles Dickens' 1861 novel ''Grea ...
'', but left the film due to unknown reasons and later
Tabu
Tabu may refer to:
Cultural and legal concepts
*Taboo (spelled ''tabu'' in earlier historical records), something that is unacceptable in society
*Tapu (Polynesian culture) (also spelled ''tabu''), a Polynesian cultural concept from which the wor ...
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
Randhir Raj Kapoor (born 15 February 1947) is an Indian actor, film producer and director who worked in Hindi cinema. He was an established actor of the 1970s and received two Filmfare Award nominations. However, his career declined in the ea ...
. Her grandson,
Sharman Joshi
Sharman Joshi (born 28 April 1979) is an Indian actor and television presenter who predominantly works in Hindi movies, known for his roles in films like ''Rang De Basanti'' (2006), '' Golmaal'' (2006), '' Dhol'' (2007) and ''3 Idiots'' (2009). ...
convinces her to change. The grandmother 'transforms' herself into a glamorous model.
In 2015, she appeared in R. Balki's
Shamitabh
''Shamitabh'' is a 2015 Indian Hindi-language satirical drama film written and directed by R. Balki. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Dhanush and debutante Akshara Haasan. The film is jointly produced by Sunil Lulla, Balki, Rakesh Jhunjhunwal ...
, where she played herself.
Personal life and off-screen work
In 1990, Rekha married
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders ...
-based industrialist Mukesh Aggarwal. Aggarwal was a self-made entrepreneur and owner of the kitchenware brand Hotline. He is believed to have had a long-standing struggle with depression and according to Rekha's biographers, she only found out about his mental health after marriage. He was introduced to Rekha through a mutual friend and fashion designer Bina Ramani who termed him Rekha's 'crazy fan'. He proposed marriage to her on 4 March 1990, and a few months later—while she was in London—he committed suicide, after several previous attempts, leaving a note, "Don't blame anyone". She was pilloried by the press at that time, a period which one journalist termed as "the deepest trough in her life."
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!"
She was rumoured to have been married to actor
Vinod Mehra
Vinod Mehra (13 February 1945 – 30 October 1990) was an Indian actor in Indian films. He started out as a child actor in the late 1950s before starting his film career as an adult in 1971. He acted in over 100 films from the 1970s through to h ...
in 1973, but in a 2004 television interview with
Simi Garewal
Simi Garewal (born Simrita Garewal; 17 October 1947) is an Indian actress, director, producer and a talk show host. She is the recipient of two Filmfare awards and an ITA Award. She is known for her work in Hindi films like ''Do Badan'', '' Saa ...
she denied being married to Mehra referring to him as a "well-wisher". Rekha currently lives in her
Bandra home in
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...
.
She was also famously rumoured to have been in a relationship with
Amitabh Bachchan, who was married, after they first acted together in ''
Do Anjaane'', and later in ''
Silsila''.
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
Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consci ...
, 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".
Rekha has no children.
Image and artistry
Rekha's status in the film industry has been discussed in light of her change over the years, screen persona, and performances. In 1986, ''
The Illustrated Weekly of India
''The Illustrated Weekly of India'' was an English-language weekly newsmagazine publication in India. It started publication in 1880 (as ''Times of India'' Weekly Edition; later renamed as ''The Illustrated Weekly of India'' in 1923) and ceasin ...
'' wrote: "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." Writing for ''The Tribune'', Mukesh Khosla was impressed with her transformation from "the giggling village belle in ''Saawan Bhadon'' to one of country's reigning actresses". ''
Hindustan Times
''Hindustan Times'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi. It is the flagship publication of HT Media, an entity controlled by the KK Birla family, and is owned by Shobhana Bhartia.
It was founded by Sunder Singh Ly ...
'' 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".
According to critic Omar Qureshi, "the term diva (in India) was coined for Rekha."
Mira Nair
Mira Nair (born 15 October 1957) is an Indian-American filmmaker based in New York City. Her production company, Mirabai Films, specializes in films for international audiences on Indian society, whether in the economic, social or cultural spher ...
, who directed Rekha in ''Kama Sutra'' (1997), likens her to a "
Jamini Roy
Jamini Roy ( Bengali: যামিনী রায়) (11 April 1887 – 24 April 1972) was an Indian painter. He was honoured by the Government of India the award of Padma Bhushan in 1954. He remains one of the most famous pupils of Aban ...
painting" and says, "Like
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...
is shorthand for sex, Rekha is shorthand for charisma". Filmmaker
Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Sanjay Leela Bhansali (; born 24 February 1963) is an Indian filmmaker, director, screenwriter, and music composer who is known for his work in Hindi cinema. He is the recipient of several awards, including four National Film Awards, ten Filmfar ...
labels her the "last of the great stars".
Respected for her acting prowess, Rekha has been described by critics as one of Hindi cinema's finest actresses. ''
Filmfare'' described her acting style, writing that in terms of "style, sexiness or sheer onscreen presence, she's unparalleled" and arguing that she is "a fierce, raw, flinty performer with unbridled honesty. Her acting isn't gimmicky." Critic
Khalid Mohamed
Khalid Mohamed is an Indian journalist, editing, editor, Film criticism, film critic, screenwriter and film director. He formerly worked for the ''Hindustan Times'' and was the lead editor for ''Filmfare'' magazine. He is the son of Bollywoo ...
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."
Shyam Benegal, who directed her in two movies, believes she is "a director's actress".
M.L. Dhawan from ''
The Tribune ''The Tribune'' or ''Tribune'' is the name of various newspapers:
United States Daily California
*'' Oakland Tribune''
* ''The Tribune'' (San Luis Obispo)
*''San Gabriel Valley Tribune''
Indiana
*'' Kokomo Tribune''
*'' Peru Tribune''
* ''The Tri ...
'' wrote, "Rekha's flowering as an actress post ''Ghar'' and ''Khubsoorat'' climaxed in
..''Umrao Jaan''. As a tragic courtesan she gave a performance of quality artistry, adopting a much-admired huskiness and despondency of tone. Rekha communicated much with a delicately raised eyebrow". In 2010, ''Filmfare'' included two of her performances—from ''
Khubsoorat
''Khubsoorat'' (transl. Beautiful) is a 1980 Indian Hindi-language comedy-drama film, directed and produced by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, co-produced by N. C. Sippy with dialogues written by Gulzar. The movie stars Ashok Kumar, Rekha, Rakesh Roshan, ...
'' (1980) and ''
Umrao Jaan'' (1981)—in their list of "80 Iconic Performances". Her work in the latter was included on ''
Forbes India''s list of "25 Greatest Acting Performances of Indian Cinema".
In 2011,
Rediff
Rediff.com (stylized as ''rediff.com'') is an Indian news, information, entertainment and shopping web portal. It was founded in 1996. It is headquartered in Mumbai, with offices in Bangalore, New Delhi and New York City.
, it had more than 300 e ...
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."
Despite apperciation toward achievements in her professional career, Rekha's public image has often been interwoven in the media with speculations about her personal life and relationships. Known for her tendency to shun publicity, Rekha has gained a reputation for being mysterious and reclusive, which drew media comparisons to
Greta Garbo
Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress. Regarded as one of the greatest screen actresses, she was known for her melancholic, somber persona, her film portrayals of tragic ch ...
.
''Hindustan Times'' argues that Rekha has shrouded "her life in an intriguing Garbo-like mystery".
According to
Rediff
Rediff.com (stylized as ''rediff.com'') is an Indian news, information, entertainment and shopping web portal. It was founded in 1996. It is headquartered in Mumbai, with offices in Bangalore, New Delhi and New York City.
, it had more than 300 e ...
, "Rekha's reclusive nature has gone a long way towards building an aura of mystery around her." 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." Film journalist
Anupama Chopra
Anupama Chopra () is an Indian author, journalist, film critic and director of the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. She is also the founder and editor of the digital platform Film Companion, which offers a curated look at cinema. She has written sev ...
, who visited Rekha in 2003, wrote that while tabloids had portrayed her as "a 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".
She was referred to as the reigning Queen of Indian Cinema at the
2012 IIFA Awards
The 2012 IIFA Awards, officially the 13th International Indian Film Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the International Indian Film Academy honouring the films of 2011 took place between 7–9 June 2012. The official ceremony took place on ...
held in Singapore, where she was given the "Outstanding Contribution to Indian Cinema (Female)" award, also referred to as the Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1999, the columnist-turned-author
Mohan Deep
Mohan Deep (born Mohan Kishinchand Chandirramani in 1948), is an Indian writer. He has written multiple books on Bollywood film personalities, including the books: ''The Mystery and Mystique of Madhubala'', ''Simply Scandalous: Meena Kumari'', ...
published the first biography about her, titled ''
Eurekha!: The Intimate Life Story of Rekha'' (1999). Another biography was released by the journalist
Yasser Usman
Yasser Usman (born 1980s) is an Indian television journalist, news presenter, and biographer. Born in Moradabad, Yasser began his career by working as a television presenter and was awarded the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journali ...
in 2016 under the title of ''
Rekha: The Untold Story''.
See also
*
List of Indian film actresses
This is an alphabetical list of notable Indian film actresses.
A
* Aaditi Pohankar
* Aahana Kumra
* Aakanksha Singh
* Aamna Sharif
* Aanchal Munjal
* Aarathi
* Aarti Agarwal
* Aarti Chhabria
* Aashka Goradia
* Abhirami
* Adah Sharma ...
Notes
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Further reading
*
*.
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rekha
1954 births
Living people
Indian film actresses
Telugu people
Actresses from Tamil Nadu
Actresses from Chennai
Actresses in Hindi cinema
Nominated members of the Rajya Sabha
Best Actress National Film Award winners
Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts
Women members of the Rajya Sabha
Filmfare Awards winners
Screen Awards winners