Bollywood's classic Ice Queen Rekha, a timeless beauty
has been the ultimate symbol of sensuality. She has a handsome face, perfect
nose, pretty eyes and the husky smouldering voice to match her looks. A ‘divaesque’
fashionable Rekha mesmerized millions of fans with her unique seductive mysteriousness.
For five decades, she has been setting the screen on fire, blazing a glorious
trail in her wake.
She has the distinction of holding an unbeatable
record of portraying heroines in over 100 films. Her "transformation" from "a round ball
of flesh" in the 70s into a toned and manicured ultimate fashion &
beauty icon and screen 'star' in the 80s owing to her sheer talent and hard
work. Every reinvention of gorgeous ‘Madam Re’ has been a voyage of discovery
for this ultimate glam-goddess. She is reclusive like Garbo and will disappear
like an apparition.
She blossomed overnight with “Do Anjaane” and the 'real' Rekha was born on screen in ‘Ghar’. Rekha’s third coming was in “Khubsoorat” where, she created a
blithe and believable personality. She broke every rule of the star power with
this heroine-oriented comedy. Her fourth innings started with “Silsila”. The film turned her into an
icon. “Zubeidaa” and “Lajja” began
Rekha’s fifth and most fruitful phase.
She has often played strong
female characters in mainstream cinema as well in art-house films. A village
belle in ‘Saawan Bhadon’, a mischievous girl-next-door in ‘Khoobsoorat’, an
abuse victim in ‘Ghar’, a courtesan in ‘Umrao Jaan’, a devoted wife in ‘Sada
Suhagan’, a doting mother in ‘Judaai’, an eternal romantic in ‘Silsila’, a
wronged woman seeking revenge in ‘Khoon Bhari Maang’,
the remorseless don in ‘Khiladiyon Ke
Khiladi’, a sensuous Mansi in ‘Aastha’,
the patient first wife in
Zubeidaa (2001), the rebellious social worker in Lajja (2001) and the cold
stepmother in Dil Hai Tumhaara (2002).
Bhanurekha Ganesan (Rekha) was born on 10 October,
1954 in Chennai. She was the daughter of 'The Adonis of the
South', Gemini Ganesan and his actress wife Pushpavalli. She
has one sister Radha
Usman Syed, five half-sisters and one half-brother. She had a materially privileged but peripatetic
childhood. She studied in a convent school with Irish nuns. She was
completely fascinated by them and even wanted to become one. She was called the
“clown of the class” and her mimicry had her family and friends in splits. She was
a podgy child her friends used to tease her and called her “baby elephant”.
Her mother wanted her tomboyish
daughter to become a great star. Rekha never planned on being an actress rather
she was interested to be an air-hostess.
Being the daughter of the well known film-stars, studio
became her playground for nurturing her acting skills. She appeared as a child
actor in two Telegu films ‘Inti Guttu’ (1958) and “Rangula Ratnam” (1966). She
made her debut as Navanati Rekha (new actress) heroine in the hit Kannada film “Operation Jackpot Nalli
CID 999” (Kannada-1969).
A gawky teenager, a Bond girl, she
looked uncomfortable in tight-fitting t-shirts and body-hugging short dresses, but
managed to create an impression. In Amma Kosam (Telugu-1970) she played
the role of the vivacious Gita.
Rekha was just 13 years old but
looked more than her age, when she came to Mumbai. In 1969, an NRI Kuljeet Pal
from Africa signed this child-woman opposite the rosy-cheeked Biswajeet in ‘Anjana
Safar’. Out of her comfort zone and acting in a language that was new, Rekha
had her first experience of the ugly side of the film industry. A kiss with her
co-star Biswajeet was filmed without her knowledge. Though the shot was censored, but it made to the cover of Life magazine that year. The film was
finally released as 'Do Shikaari' in 1979. However, the break proved lucky for
Rekha, she
signed
a
dozen Hindi movies like Mehmaan, Haseenon Ka Devta and Sawan Bhadon etc. within
a week.
Mohan Sehgal took her under his wing and made her a
star from a gawky plump, dark and oily teenager in “Saawan Bhadon” (1970).
Rekha’s
“85-Shakes” shook the box-office and
the film celebrated Jubilee runs in 34 centres across the country. At the premiere, the film's debutant heroine a dusky,
obese 16-year-old whose 33-inch waist strained against a gaudy, black-and-blue
sequined gharara. A
bouffant with stiff kiss curls and a profusion of ringlets completed the
unlikely picture. An amazed Shashi Kapoor uttered in disbelief, "How is
this dark, plump and gauche actress ever going to make it?" His wife
Jennifer nevertheless recognised the inexplicable star quality within the teenager
and prophesised that she would be the darling of the masses for years to come. Rekha
achieved stardom and Jennifer's prophecy came magnificently true.
For the next 9 years, she
kept working just like a puppet in the hands of men who could not see anything
but a sex symbol in her. Though
her first few films like Elaan, Namak
Haraam and Duniya Ka
Mela performed quite well commercially, she was never given much recognition.
She was called the 'Ugly Duckling' of Hindi films because of her dusky complexion and A-line figure. She was determined to
make it big on sheer merit. Rekha took to yoga, nutritional food and a
disciplined lifestyle to change her plump and unattractive looks into a slender
and beautiful woman. She had indeed transformed into a “White swan” and
became
the epitome of beauty, glamour, and sophistication.
Rekha has no training as a classical dancer, but she
could do all the filmi jhatkas with
consummate ease. She played a chubby charmer, whose existence orbited around
the hero, in a string of hits like Rampur Ka Lakshman. Gora Aur Kala, Dharma , Kahani Kismet Ki and Pran Jaaye Par Vachan Na Jaaye. Her
first major break came with laudable performance in Dulal Guha's ‘Do Anjaane’ (1976) opposite
Amitabh Bachchan. She made people sit up with her performance as an ambitious
wife who sacrifices love at the altar of ambition.
Gulzar's ‘Ghar’ (1978)
heralded the arrival of a mature Rekha. Her archetypal jubilance was replaced
by her very realistic portrayal of a traumatised rape victim and remains one of
her best works. She wooed enthusiastic crowds with the chartbusting ‘Salaam-e-ishq’ in Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978) which established
her as the top actress in Bollywood. Her Amitabh association lasted through
nine films and she rumoured to be Amitabh’s real life flame. Yash Chopra once stated
that he was always on tenterhooks and scared during filming of ‘Silsila’
because it was real life coming into reel life. Amitabh finally buckled to
media and family pressure and called it off with Rekha.
Rekha had an unbroken string of artistic and
box-office success during early 1980s. She dazzled as
the
spunky, chatterbox younger sister in Khubsoorat. A
hat-trick of melodramatic hits with Jeetendra (Judaai, Maang Bharo Sajna and Ek Hi Bhool) combined with important roles in Saajan Ki Saheli and Basera, made her the box-office
queen. Muzaffar Ali's Umrao Jaan
(1981) put her into an exalted league. Her performance as an emotionally
unfulfilled courtesan catapulted her to the zenith.
Her role was very cerebral,
cultural and classical one that raised her to a pedestal that cannot be
surpassed ever.
Strangely, her career dovetailed after Sridevi stormed
into the scene in 1983. Rekha was increasingly sidelined till she made an
affirmative comeback with her avenging angel role in Khoon Bhari Maang (1988). After the turmoil in her personal
life, came a new dawn in her career. She starred in woman-centric art films
like 'Utsav', 'Ijaazat' etc. As Ramdulari in Lajja, Rekha proves one thing
beyond doubt that “Film queens don't fade away, they simply reinvent
themselves.”
During the 90s, Rekha's career started sliding and the
only notable films were 'Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love' and 'Khiladiyon Ka
Khiladi'. Apart from being a seductive crooner in Parineeta, she did memorable
roles in Yaatra, Sadiyaan, Super Nani, Shamitabh and Krrish 3. She allowed
herself to be pushed aside by her screen ‘souten’ with such a grace. Her last
appearance
was in “Rafta Rafta Medley Song” for ‘Yamla
Pagla Deewana: Phir Se’ (2018). Rekha did her last film with
Shatrughan Sinha, called Aaj Phir Jeene ki Tamanna Hai.
Her biography, Rekha: The
Untold Story, written by Yasser Usman, attempts to bring forth the
extraordinary personality and Rekha’s salacious personal life. An ill-advised marriage to industrialist Mukesh
Agarwal plunged Rekha into the darkest phase of her life after he allegedly
committed suicide. She became ‘national
vamp’ even being called a witch
by her in-laws.
Rekha has acted in over 180
films in a career spanning over three decades.
She won Filmfare award for best actress in ‘Khubsoorat’ and ‘Khoon Bhari Maang’ films
and also best supporting actress in ‘Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi’. She received the U.P. Award for the best
kathak dancer in Hindi films. Her performance as the tragic courtesan
in ‘Umrao Jaan’, won her the
National Film Award in 1981. She
was bestowed with Akkineni Nageswara Rao (ANR) National Award
in 2019. She was decorated with Padmashri in 2010.
She is known for her lifestyle and glossy image. She
is a diva in fact the term diva was coined for Rekha. ekha
started her own classes in aerobics inspired by the Hollywood actress, Jane
Fonda, but couldn't run it for long. She became a fitness and beauty guru
similar to Jane Fonda. She
even has her book “Rekha's Mind and Body Temple” (1983) on yoga and exercises.
She
is basically shy by nature, an introvert and fiercely private. She is not that
little birdie that “twitters”. Rekha is an embodiment of style, grace, and
beauty, looks practically ageless. Be it an awards night or a wedding in
Bollywood, she is seen in the most beautiful ‘Kanjivarams’ ever. She has made
it her signature style over the years.
Even after three long decades in the industry, Queen
Bee emeritus, the doyenne of the philosophical sound bite, Rekha remains a
glamour icon for the couture cognoscenti. But her 33-year-long journey has been
paved with several potholes and strewn with emotional landmines. Clearly,
the pain of being Rekha far outstrips the pleasures of her stardom. She may be
the perpetual other woman in the real-life Silsila of the Bachchan saga but as
far as her Bollywood rep goes, Rekha is the First Lady.
“Personifying existential
wisdom... that's Rekha”. She's still big... It's the movies that got smaller...
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