Agencies
BOLLYWOOD: Bollywood diva Rekha turned 66 on October 10.
Born on October 10, 1954 as Bhanurekha Ganesan in Chennai, she has been one of Bollywood’s most famous actresses during the past five decades.
She has acted in over 180 films, with Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978), Suhaag (1979),Khubsoorat (1980), Silsila (1981), Umrao Jaan (1981), Khoon Bhari Maang (1988), Kama Sutra: A Tale Of Love (1996), Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi (1996) and Zubeidaa (2001) being some of her best movies.
Here are the 15 facts about her life:
1) A Brahmin, Rekha is half Tamil and half Telugu as she is the daughter Tamil actor Gemini Ganesan and Telugu actress Pushpavalli. Her parents were not married at the time of her birth. Her birth name was Bhanurekha Ganesan.
2) In Rekha’s early teens, her mother had to quit films as she fell ill. Rekha quit school to financially support her family. She made her debut at age 12 in Telugu film Rangula Ratnam. Sawan Bhadon (1970) was her first Hindi movie. She struggled with her Hindi during her earlier years in Bollywood.
3) The voluptuous Mumtaz was Rekha’s role model.
4) For Bollywood which wants its actresses to be chikni chameli, Rekha was considered an ugly duckling because of her not so fair complexion during her initial years in Mumbai. But she worked on her appearance and became a sex symbol in the 1980s.
5) The 1976 film Do Anjaane opposite Amitabh Bachchan was Rekha’s entry into Bollywood, and the beginning of her fabled secret romance with the Big B. Amitabh is 12 years older than Rekha and his birthday is October 11.
6) Rekha got her first Filmfare nomination for her role in the 1978 film Ghar.
7) Rekha’s 1978 blockbuster Mukaddar Ka Sikandar put her in the big league of Bollywood actresses. Mukaddar Ka Sikandar was the biggest hit of the decade.
8) Rekha won her first Filmfare Award for her role in the 1980 film Khoobsurat.
9) Silsila (1981) was her last film with Amitabh Bachchan and the end of their affair. Silsila was a love triangle involving characters of Amitabh, his wife Jaya Bachchan and Rekha.
10) Umrao Jaan (1981) is Rekha’s best film for which she got the National Film Award.
11) Rekha got her second Filmfare Award for her role in Khoon Bhari Maang– the first women-centric Bollywood film.
11) There were rumours in 1973 that Rekha had married actor Vinod Mehra. They were just rumours.
12) Rekha married Delhi industrialist Mukesh Aggarwal in 1990, but he committed suicide a year later when Rekha was away in the US.
13) In Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi (1996), Rekha did her first villain role and won her third Filmfare award.
14) Rekha has appeared in over 180 films.
15) Rekha is one of the few Bollywood stars to become an MP (Rajya Sabha) and get the Padma Shri – the fourth highest civilian award in India.
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