Page 7 - Seniorstoday July-2023 Issue

older actresses, except mothers to actors Tagore with Rajesh Khanna.
older than them. If Rekha had to retain her Gossip magazines of the time wrote
mystique, it made sense to go into reclusive about the great affair, but neither of them
mode and not have to scramble for meagre bothered to answer questions about it,
scraps from the male producers’ table. and without confirmation, it is all just
Having done her fair share of weepy speculation, with maybe a bit of titillation
melodramas in the past, after a point—late for readers of fanzines.
80s onwards, having done some exciting In spite of being a star kid at a time, when
roles -- Rekha projected strength, because nobody bandied around the nepotism
that’s what happens, the screen image word, Bhanurekha, the daughter of Tamil
invades real life; her lifestyle projected superstar Gemini Ganesan and actress
independence and a no-bullshit attitude. Pushpavalli, did not have stardom handed
Filmmakers, who at the best of times did to her on a platter, it was hard won.
not even think of older heroines, just did
not know what to offer her. There was
also the rigmarole she put them through if
they wanted to meet her—the elusiveness,
the cancelled appointments, the dangling
for dates. People got fed-up and went to
another actress, and so she had to accept
the films from those who persisted and
she ended up with Madame X, Khiladiyon
Ka Khiladi, Mujhe Meri Biwi Se Bachao, In Rangula Ratnam ( Telegu film, age 13)
Bach Ke Rehna Re Baba, Kudiyon Ka Hai
Zamana, that were just cringeworthy.
In between, there was also Mira Nair’s
Kamasutra, Basu Bhattacharya’s Aastha,
Shyam Benegal’s Zubeidaa, Rajkumar
Santoshi’s Lajja, but stardom also means
the ability to deliver box-office success.
Without hits, fame is futile.
However, when Rekha was at the peak
of her career, there was that perfect
combination of beauty, talent and that
immeasurable factor, charisma, that In Saawan Bhadon (1970)
kept her ahead in the race. In those days, Her first Hindi film, Saawan Bhadon
if Rekha was in a film, it was worth (1970) was a hit—it has a new leading man
watching, even if she was not the central too, Navin Nischol, so she got some of the
character. Then, as now, it was the male credit, but the industry was more mean-
stars who called the shots. And she spirited then and nobody cared about
formed this great screen partnership with political correctness. She was called dark,
Amitabh Bachchan, like Hema Malini did chubby, unsophisticated, but she was
with Dharmendra, Mumtaz and Sharmila undeniably talented and hard-working.

SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #49 | JULY 2023 7