Most of the world know Rekha as Amitabh Bachchan’s life-long lover (thanks to the rumours and their chemistry in ‘Silsila’, ‘Muqaddar Ka Sikandar’, Mr Natwarlal’ to name a few). But you can’t deny that she is a fierce, sexy, elusive actresses with a kind of a vulnerability that she showcases through her roles.
Very few know about how the actress is in real life. In 2003, when film journalist Anupama Chopra, visited Rekha, she wrote that while tabloids had portrayed her as a reclusive woman twisted bitter by lecherous men and loneliness, in reality Rekha was none of that; she described her as chatty and curious, excited and energetic, cheerful and almost illegally optimistic.
To understand the evergreen actress better, journalist/film commentator and author Yasser Usman came out with a biographic on the diva, ‘Rekha: The Untold Story’, which chronicles her life and days in Bollywood, with everything little secret revealed; from her alleged affair with Amitabh Bachchan to the suicide of her husband Mukesh Agarwal to why she wears sindoor and mangalsutra everywhere.
But as the sultry actress turns older today, take a look movies that made her so popular today.
Do Anjaane (1976):
In this Dulal Guha directed drama, she plays an overambitious Bengali housewife who connives with her husband, Amitabh Bachchan's best friend, Prem Chopra, to murder him.
Ghar (1978):
As a rape survivor housewife who is nurtured back to normal life by her supportive husband, Rekha lends credibility to her character’s pain and trauma through her performance. Some of Lata Mangeshkar's most memorable melodies like ‘Tere bina jiya jaye na’ and ‘Aaj kal paaon zameer par’ were picturised on her.
Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978):
In this cult movie, Rekha plays Zohra, who silently loves ill-fated Sikandar (Amitabh Bachchan) and watches him die. The movie gained immense popularity, especially with the song ‘Salaam-e-Ishq’.
Khubsoorat (1980):
Did you know that in ‘Khubsoorat’, that Hrishikesh Mukherjee wrote the role of the incorrigible do-gooder who takes on her sister's disciplinarian mother-in-law, especially for Rekha? This was the second turning-point in her career after ‘Ghar’.
Umrao Jaan (1981):
Considered as one of her best movies with great performance and excellent soundtrack, Rekha was a plays Lucknowi courtesan whose adventurous life is defined and defiled by the various men she encounters.
Silsila (1981):
In Yash Chopra’s Silsila, Rekha’s pitch-perfect portrayal of the other woman in an extra marital affair was memorable. In her confrontation scene with Jaya, Rekha held her own in an inspired performance.
Jeevan Dhaara (1982):
Rekha’s standout performance in this film earned her a Filmfare Best Actress nomination. Unlike other sacrificial heroines who silently give up their own happiness for the sake of the family, Rekha's – the sole breadwinner of her family – never ceases to remind them just how much she has given up to put food on their table, in the movie.
Utsav (1984):
As a fifth century courtesan Vasantsena in Girish Karnad’s Utsav, Rekha’s sensuous turn was a highlight of the film, not to forget the memorable songs she starred in.
Ijaazat (1987):
The film in which Rekha worked with director Gulzar, Ijaazat featured her in the role of a wife who allows her husband (played by Naseeruddin Shah) to return to his first love. An unconventional love story even by today’s standards, Ijaazat saw Rekha at her restrained best.
Khoon Bhari Maang (1988):
This revenge drama saw Rekha in two radically different avatars. From Aarti -the plain Jane rich widow – Rekha transforms into Jyoti — the smoldering diva — when she returns to seek revenge for her attempted murder in the film.
Very few know about how the actress is in real life. In 2003, when film journalist Anupama Chopra, visited Rekha, she wrote that while tabloids had portrayed her as a reclusive woman twisted bitter by lecherous men and loneliness, in reality Rekha was none of that; she described her as chatty and curious, excited and energetic, cheerful and almost illegally optimistic.
To understand the evergreen actress better, journalist/film commentator and author Yasser Usman came out with a biographic on the diva, ‘Rekha: The Untold Story’, which chronicles her life and days in Bollywood, with everything little secret revealed; from her alleged affair with Amitabh Bachchan to the suicide of her husband Mukesh Agarwal to why she wears sindoor and mangalsutra everywhere.
But as the sultry actress turns older today, take a look movies that made her so popular today.
Do Anjaane (1976):
In this Dulal Guha directed drama, she plays an overambitious Bengali housewife who connives with her husband, Amitabh Bachchan's best friend, Prem Chopra, to murder him.
Ghar (1978):
As a rape survivor housewife who is nurtured back to normal life by her supportive husband, Rekha lends credibility to her character’s pain and trauma through her performance. Some of Lata Mangeshkar's most memorable melodies like ‘Tere bina jiya jaye na’ and ‘Aaj kal paaon zameer par’ were picturised on her.
Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978):
In this cult movie, Rekha plays Zohra, who silently loves ill-fated Sikandar (Amitabh Bachchan) and watches him die. The movie gained immense popularity, especially with the song ‘Salaam-e-Ishq’.
Khubsoorat (1980):
Did you know that in ‘Khubsoorat’, that Hrishikesh Mukherjee wrote the role of the incorrigible do-gooder who takes on her sister's disciplinarian mother-in-law, especially for Rekha? This was the second turning-point in her career after ‘Ghar’.
Umrao Jaan (1981):
Considered as one of her best movies with great performance and excellent soundtrack, Rekha was a plays Lucknowi courtesan whose adventurous life is defined and defiled by the various men she encounters.
Silsila (1981):
In Yash Chopra’s Silsila, Rekha’s pitch-perfect portrayal of the other woman in an extra marital affair was memorable. In her confrontation scene with Jaya, Rekha held her own in an inspired performance.
Jeevan Dhaara (1982):
Rekha’s standout performance in this film earned her a Filmfare Best Actress nomination. Unlike other sacrificial heroines who silently give up their own happiness for the sake of the family, Rekha's – the sole breadwinner of her family – never ceases to remind them just how much she has given up to put food on their table, in the movie.
Utsav (1984):
As a fifth century courtesan Vasantsena in Girish Karnad’s Utsav, Rekha’s sensuous turn was a highlight of the film, not to forget the memorable songs she starred in.
Ijaazat (1987):
The film in which Rekha worked with director Gulzar, Ijaazat featured her in the role of a wife who allows her husband (played by Naseeruddin Shah) to return to his first love. An unconventional love story even by today’s standards, Ijaazat saw Rekha at her restrained best.
Khoon Bhari Maang (1988):
This revenge drama saw Rekha in two radically different avatars. From Aarti -the plain Jane rich widow – Rekha transforms into Jyoti — the smoldering diva — when she returns to seek revenge for her attempted murder in the film.
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