Rekha – ageless icon of beauty and glamour
The legendary actress is like that liana that grows younger and younger with every passing spring it witness.
Whether she plays a courtesan in "Yatra" or matches steps with the young actresses in ‘Kudiyon Ka Hai Zamana' or plays granny to Hrithik Roshan in ‘Krrish' or makes a brief appearance as a Moulin Rouge singer in ‘Parineeta' -- she proves her mettle in each part she plays and steal's the show irrespective of the length of her role.
In 1954, on Oct 10, Bhanurekha Ganesan or Rekha, as we know her, was born. She is the daughter of legendary Tamil actor Gemini Ganesan and Telugu actress Pushpavalli however, she was born out of wedlock and her father refused to acknowledge his paternity during her childhood.
Acting was in her blood and from a tender age she started facing the camera. She forayed into filmdom as a child actor with Telugu movie 'Rangula Ratnam' in 1966.
In 1970 she appeared as a full-fledged leading lady in Hindi movie 'Sawan Bhadon'. The film hogged the limelight for all the wrong reasons and the critics wrote off this dusky, plump girl who later ruled the silver screen.
Undeterred by criticism, Rekha pursued her career in Hindi films and signed films with big stars like Rajendra Kumar, Dharmendra and many more. She was seen in films like 'Gora Aur Kala', 'Raampur Ka Lakshman', 'Kahani kismat Ki', 'Pran Jaaye Par Vachan Na Jaaye' – they were not big hits but did satisfactory business at box office.
However, her major break came with 'Muqaddar Ka Sikandar' where for the first time she appeared with Amitabh Bachchan. Both, the audience and the critics, liked their on screen chemistry.
Rekha-Amitabh became a rage and worked in nine films together including 'Mr. Natwarlal' and 'Khoon Paseena'.
Very soon there on screen closeness translated into off screen affair which was beautifully depicted by Yash Chopra in 'Silsila' (1981) in which real life couple Amitabh and Jaya played husband and wife and Rekha featured as the other woman. In terms of money, it was not a profitable venture for its makers but it boosted Amitabh-Rekha's popularity.
They became one of the most successful pairs of the era.
Rekha and Amitabh's pairing ended with the latter's accident on the sets of 'Coolie' in 1982.
It was one of the most difficult phases of her life but she didn't shy away from her responsibilities. After her separation from Amitabh she took on increasingly serious, even adventurous roles. She starred in heroine-oriented films such as 'Khoobsoorat', 'Khoon Bhari Maang', and 'Mujhe Insaaf Chaahiye'.
She also ventured into art movies with 'Utsav' and 'Ijaazat'.
Her most memorable role, so far, is of the courtesan she played in 'Umraoo Jaan'. Her stupendous performance was appreciated with a National Film Award.
Apart from success, the average looking, plump and dark girl, who could hardly be called attractive, underwent a remarkable transformation and emerged as the ageless beauty of Indian screen.
The makeover was not just physical, the actress also enhanced her acting capabilities. Recently, she was praised for her role in 'Zubeidaa', 'Koi... Mil Gaya', 'Krrish' and "Yatra".
Rekha will now wow the audiences in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Bajirao Mastani'.
