This being my 25th review and also the birthday of the great legend, I am dedicating this review to the great diva Rekha. She is a women who has undergone lots of ups and downs in her life, faced the turbulences in her life with flying colour. Being a women myself I salute her who has achieved so much in life with grit and determination, inspite of facing so many hardships.
She is poise, she is grace personified, she is a style diva, she is versatile, she is an actress par excellence, she was an ugly duckling who transformed herself into a swan, yes she is the svelte and beautiful Rekha.
She was born as Bhanurekha Ganesan on October 10, 1954 in Chennai to the famous Tamil actor Gemini Ganesan and Telugu actress Pushpavalli. She was born out of wedlock and is the eldest child of Gemini Ganesan. She suffered the neglect of her father and later thwarted his attempts of reconciliation. One of her sister is a well known gynaecologist and one of her brother-in-law is a well known Bollywood villain/character artist Tej Sapru.
She started her career as a child artist Telugu film Rangula Ratnam (1966), her first film as heroine was Kannada film Goadalli CID 999 with Dr. Rajkumar in 1969. Her first release as a heroine in Hindi film was Sawan Bhadon in 1970. This film became a hit and catapaulted her into stardom overnight. She starred in several successful films, but landed with a meaty role in Do Anjaane.
She had an affair with Amitabh Bachchan and gave several hits during their period of romance. She was rumoured to have been married to Vinod Mehra previously. She married Mukesh Agarwal, a businessman who later committed suicide.
She looks stunning in Gold coloured clothes( can be seen in various functions), is an expert in the art of makeup. She has perfected herself in speaking Hindi and Urdu languages, its an achievement for a person who is not native to these languauges. She is one of the rare actress , who has not endorsed a single product for any advertisements in the times when a single film actors land up with huge ads assignments.
She is a good mimicry artist as can be seen in the movie Khoobsurat. She is spontaneous and puts her self thoroughly in the role she is portraying. She is an excellent dancer though not trained professionally. She has a very expressive face and I like it a lot when her face suddenly breaks into a smile, it lights up her face.
Some of my favourite films starring Rekha:
In Do Anjaane where she plays an actress by the name of Rekha Roy, who conspires along with her husband’s friend against her husband.
In Dharmatma ,she tries seducing Feroz Khan who in turn is enamoured by a Gypsy girl (Hema Malini).
In Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, she plays a role of danseuse , I think she is one of the few actress who plays this role perfectly with proper grace and emotions.
In Khoobsuratshe plays a girl who doesn’t like the strictness in the home of her newly married sister and strives to bring about the change for better.
In Umrao Jaanshe plays the role of a sensitive courtesan, who was sold in a brothel when she was very young, this movie has some brilliant songs.
In Khoon Bhari Maang, she plays a role which is very excellent, she plays a simple housewife in the beginning and later after having undergone plastic surgery plays the role of Femme Fatale.
In Basera, she plays a role of a woman, who marries the husband of her mentally imbalanced sister, very sensitively portrayed performance.
In Zubeida, she plays the role of the first wife of Manoj Bajpai, a role which requires maturity.
In Koi Mil Gaya, she plays the role of Hrithik Roshan and later his Grandmother in the sequel by the name of Krissh.
In, Agar Tum Na Hote, she plays a wife whose photographer husband meets with an accident and is confined to a wheelchair. She works as a governess to a child whose dead mother resembles her.
In Sisila, she plays the role of Chandni, whose lover leaves her to marry someone else and later rekindles the romance with her.
In Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi, she plays the role of Women Gang Leader, Madam Maya, who falls in love with the person whom her younger sister desires.
In Mujhe Insaaf Chahiye, she is a wronged woman and as a lawyer, she fights for justice for herself as well as for others.
In Ek Hi Bhool, she plays the role of a betrayed wife, whose husband had an extra martial affair, years later she moves in the neighbourhood where her ex-husband lives.
In Biwi Ho Toh Aisi, she plays the role of Shalu, a village belle. Her MIL is a tyrant and wants to get rid of her by hook or by crook. She thwarts all her ploys and reveals her educated self towards the end.
Some of the Songs I like picturised on her :
1) Salaam-E-Ishq Meri Jaan From Muqaddar Ka Sikandar
2) Mann Kyon Behka Re Bekha From Utsav
3) In Aankhon Ki Masti Mein , Dil Cheez Kya Hai From Umrao Jaan
4) Sun Sun Didi Tere Liye From Khoobsurat
5) Pardesiya Yeh Sach Hai Piya From Mr. Natwarlal
6) Dekha Ek Khwaab, Neela Aasmaan So Raha Hai From Silsila
7) Phool Gulaab Ka Chehra From Biwi Ho Toh Aisi
8) Hamen Aur Jeene Ki Chahat Na Hoti From Agar Tun Na Hote
9) Tere Sang Pyaar Mein From Nagin
Some of the awards she got :
Filmfare Awards
1980: Filmfare Best Actress Award, Khubsoorat
1988: Filmfare Best Actress Award, Khoon Bhari Maang
1997: Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award, Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi
2003: Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award
Star Screen Awards
1997: Star Screen Award Best Villain, Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi
Zee Cine Awards
2006: Zee Cine Award for Lifetime Achievement
2007: Zee Cine Awards - Forever Diva Award
Bollywood Movie Awards
2004: Bollywood Movie Award - Best Supporting Actress for Koi Mil Gaya
Other Awards
1988: BFJA Awards Best Actress, Utsav
2004: Maha Style Icon of the year
2005: Sony Golden Glory Award
2006: Idea Zee F Awards - Fashionable Film Star
2006: Stardust Awards - Role Model of the year
2006: Dinanath Mangeshkar Award
2007: Living Legend in the world of entertainment by FICCI
2007: Award celebrating her beauty
2008: Award from IMPPA for her contribution to Bollywood.
Let us pay tribute to this Icon on her 54th birthday today. I have included only what I like most about her in this review. I am one of her biggest fans and I hope you write nicey nice comments. ;-)
