“I look into the mirror and whom do I see? That persona, that persona, is not me,” she once confessed in an unguarded moment. Rekha, who is now 68, yet exudes a charm that no other Indian actress, especially one who is past her prime, can match.
Only a select few Bollywood actors and actresses have been able to keep a consistent range over the years; one of them is the stunning and legendary Indian actress Bhanurekha Ganesan, better known by her stage name Rekha. Rekha, who is regarded as one of the best actresses in Hindi cinema, has appeared in 180 films and won several prizes, including six Filmfare Awards and a National Film Award.
Rekha was born on October 10th, the daughter of Gemini Ganesan, a South Indian actress, and Pushpavalli. She had a cordial connection with her father, who opted not to accept her as his daughter. She admitted in an interview years later that she never truly saw her father and speculated that he might not have even known she existed.
Today at her 68th milestone, here are some key moments from life that became the guiding factors of her journey.
She made her film debut at the young age of one, appearing in a supporting role in the Telugu movie Intti Guttu.
When Rekha was 15 years old, she was in Mehboob Studio filming her first kissing scene for her debut movie, Anjana Safar. After shouting "cut" for five minutes, Biswajit continued kissing Rekha, who had closed her tear-filled eyes.
Most of the big-name actors from the 1980s and 1990s appeared in Rekha's films. Khubsurat (1980), Ek Hi Bhool (1981), Jeevan Dhara (1982), and Agar Tum Na Hote are some of her most well-known films (1983).
Rekha also made her famous film Umrao Jaan (1981) at this time, which earned her the National Film Award for Best Actress.
Aside from the speculations of her relationship with Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha was previously married to an industrialist from Delhi; however, their union was short-lived due to her late husband's death seven months into it.
Numerous honours and prizes have been bestowed upon Rekha, including three Filmfare Awards and one National Film Award for Best Actress. Rekha was presented with the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian accolade, by the Indian government in 2010. She has been a Rajya Sabha member since 2002 in addition to acting.
Rekha leaves the country in awe of her poise and grace every time she goes out in her signature Kanjeevaram saree.
