Rekha

Birthday: 10 October 1954, Madras, Madras State, India

Birth Name: Bhanurekha Gemini Ganesan

Height: 170 cm

Bhanurekha was born in the Tamil-speaking Ganesan household on October 10, 1954. Her dad was the popular Tamil actor, Gemini, while her mom was a popular Telugu actress, Pushpavalli. She has seven sisters and one brother. One of her sisters is Dr. Kamala Selvaraj, while another one, Radha, lives in San Francisco with a son named Naveed, who is being readied to act in Bollywood movies.No stranger to the tinsel screen, Bhanurekha acted in a Telugu movie 'Rangula Ratnam' as Baby Bhanurekha along with her mom during 1966, which was subsequently re-made and released in Hindi during 1976 as Rangila Ratan (1976). She acted in one more Telugu as well as one Kannada movie (Amma Kosam and Goadalli CID 999 respectively) before re-locating to Bombay.Due to her background, she ended up being very gloomy and pessimistic during her early years. She get a chance to debut in Bollywood movies during 1970 with Sawan Bhadon (1970) opposite Navin Nischol with a screen name of Rekha. Inability to speak Hindi, a dusky complexion as well as her weight did not exactly add to her assets in a predominantly fair-skinned, Hindi-speaking North-Indian film industry.She decided to take matters seriously, took Yoga, shed those extra pounds, learned Hindi and dancing, and thus was born a new and much improved Rekha - who went on to deliver one box office hit after another for example Nagin (1976), Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978), Mr. Natwarlal (1979), Khubsoorat (1980), Umrao Jaan (1981), Khoon Bhari Maang (1988) amongst others. In her later years she has taken up character roles and appeared as a mother, even a grandmother in Krrish (2006) during 2006.Her slim, slender looks got her many admirers, including well established Bollywood actors such as Kiran Kumar, Jeetendra, Vinod Mehra, and Amitabh Bachchan. Her marriage to Vinod ended in a divorce, and she ended up getting married to a businessman, Mukesh Aggarwal. This marriage also resulted in a divorce, with Mukesh killing himself shortly thereafter.She likes to surf the Internet, has written biographies of actresses like Zeenat Aman, and Salma Agha on IMDb, likes to collect old photographs and postcards, mimic people, watch movies, and practices Yoga regularly, read comics like Archie and Dennie the Menace, and is a vegetarian. She now lives with her Secretary, Farzana, and pets in a self-owned bungalow in Bandra (West)in Mumbai. Show less «

One thing that has influenced my personal life, my career, my attitude, the person I have become and...Show more »

One thing that has influenced my personal life, my career, my attitude, the person I have become and every decision that I have made is the fact that I have been a loner as a child. I have been more or less on my own. In that case, one can feel sorry for oneself. But, in my case, it gave me more time to observe. Show less «

"I never thought I'd be home alone, with all my sisters married and gone. I never thought I'd not ha...Show more »

"I never thought I'd be home alone, with all my sisters married and gone. I never thought I'd not have my own family, my own children." (Dec 9, 2006) Show less «

"I don't feel the pinch, you know, or the sting. It's gone. I'm healed now. I'm not bitter anymore."...Show more »

"I don't feel the pinch, you know, or the sting. It's gone. I'm healed now. I'm not bitter anymore." (October 2006) Show less «

The moment you're a star, you're no longer normal. That's a curse you've got to live with. (January ...Show more »

The moment you're a star, you're no longer normal. That's a curse you've got to live with. (January 1997) Show less «

"Loner is just a word. It means I spend most my time on my own. Going by my nature, it's the most co...Show more »

"Loner is just a word. It means I spend most my time on my own. Going by my nature, it's the most comfortable situation to be in. My god! Think of all the time I get to reason out things, not analyze situations, that's such a waste of time. But you've got to analyze things. And I never consciously created that time. It was bestowed on me." (Dec 9, 2006) Show less «

I devoted thirty-one years of my life to this industry and in turn this industry has given me everyt...Show more »

I devoted thirty-one years of my life to this industry and in turn this industry has given me everything that I can be proud of - name, fame and the perks that go with stardom. Show less «

Now people might think that I am not married and I have no children, the conventional lifestyle you ...Show more »

Now people might think that I am not married and I have no children, the conventional lifestyle you know, but I see it this way: as long as you are alive, you have a chance to have a future. At least there is hope. Show less «

On why she never adopted a child: Because it is the hardest job ever. As if.. not more responsible a...Show more »

On why she never adopted a child: Because it is the hardest job ever. As if.. not more responsible as a teacher's job. I know what it is to be deprived of a father's love. I would want a child to have both parents. That's why I've never thought of adoption.. or of having a child out of wedlock. (February 2008) Show less «

Well loneliness is still a part of me, but being alone is not necessarily being lonely.

"I didn't know what the word father mean't. When you think of father, when you mention the word fath...Show more »

"I didn't know what the word father mean't. When you think of father, when you mention the word father, it's someone in the church. That's all I know of a father." (October 2006) Show less «

"My heart goes out to Ash. She's been around for so long and yet not been there. That's how it was w...Show more »

"My heart goes out to Ash. She's been around for so long and yet not been there. That's how it was with me...until I did Umrao. It seemed improbable that a Tamilan girl talking Urdu would work. Similarly this South Indian girl should realize her potential in Umrao. She doesn't need to go to Hollywood to prove herself. She's our own. Why Bride & Prejudice (2004)? Who are these people from outside trying to tap Ash's potential? She's our treasure. It's time we acknowledge her." (October 2006) Show less «

"I don't have to spend hours planning and executing my clothes and makeup. I've done it for 40-odd y...Show more »

"I don't have to spend hours planning and executing my clothes and makeup. I've done it for 40-odd years. I can't bring myself to spend more than 15 minutes on makeup and clothes." (Dec 9, 2006) Show less «

On winning the Stardust Role Model Award: "Thank you Stardust for honoring me with this award. I'm i...Show more »

On winning the Stardust Role Model Award: "Thank you Stardust for honoring me with this award. I'm indeed gratified. I don't have to say much. My smile and the audiences' smile says it all. I have been around in this industry for the last 36 years, but I promise I will entertain you for another 63 years." (February 2006) Show less «

When asked about the doctors that say they did plastic surgeries on her: "I wish I could meet all th...Show more »

When asked about the doctors that say they did plastic surgeries on her: "I wish I could meet all those surgeons. Every once in a while, some doctor claims to have done some operation on me." Show less «

When asked what she was like as a teenager: "Wow! At that point all I wanted was to be married. And ...Show more »

When asked what she was like as a teenager: "Wow! At that point all I wanted was to be married. And to be loved, and to spend the rest of my life with somebody who truly, truly, truly cared for me, and have children. Lots, and lots, and lots of children. I wonder why I felt like that then." (October 2006) Show less «

I've done concerts twice in my life.. in '87 and '97. Maybe this is the year to start planning a con...Show more »

I've done concerts twice in my life.. in '87 and '97. Maybe this is the year to start planning a concert.. it has to be done right. I don't want to be running all over the place like a headless chicken. (February 2008) Show less «

When asked if she would have a problem doing sexual roles at her age: "After Aastha: In the Prison o...Show more »

When asked if she would have a problem doing sexual roles at her age: "After Aastha: In the Prison of Spring (1997) people had a lot to say about my role of a wife who moonlights as a prostitute. I don't have problems playing anything. I've reached a stage where I could do justice to any role that came my way. It could be Maa ka role (the role of a mother), bhabhi ka role (the role of a young woman). negative, positive, sensational or anything." (October 2006) Show less «

I don't care much for success - it's an alien word to me. I don't believe in success, I don't believ...Show more »

I don't care much for success - it's an alien word to me. I don't believe in success, I don't believe in achievements so to speak. I just believe in relishing every moment of my life. That's enough for me. Show less «

When asked if she is afraid of aging: "If I let these thoughts affect me, I wouldn't be able to be c...Show more »

When asked if she is afraid of aging: "If I let these thoughts affect me, I wouldn't be able to be creative. I'm petrified of falling ill and going to the hospital. However, disasters are a part and parcel of life. I cannot avoid them. But when a catastrophe happens, I'd like to see it as a signal to go into another phase of my life. So, in a silly masochistic way, I welcome pain because it will help me grow." (Dec 9, 2006) Show less «

I have had the best of both worlds. My profession cannot but thrust me into contact with people all ...Show more »

I have had the best of both worlds. My profession cannot but thrust me into contact with people all the time. I am a lover of life, very curious, a good listener. I observe, I evaluate. Interacting with co-stars, fans, guests all the time can be nerve-wrenching. But when I meet people, I learn, I evaluate, I marvel, I absorb, I remember, and that helps me grasp and process it back at home. Show less «

(July 2006, about Hrithik Roshan): Hrithik epitomizes everything precious in a man, be it as a son, ...Show more »

(July 2006, about Hrithik Roshan): Hrithik epitomizes everything precious in a man, be it as a son, lover or as a husband. This kid is a complete human being. Show less «

On meeting her ideal man someday: "May be I'm being unreal and impractical, but I'm not in denial. I...Show more »

On meeting her ideal man someday: "May be I'm being unreal and impractical, but I'm not in denial. If I find someone who's willing to share me with my fans, I might change my mind. If I had a man, I'd just be devoting all my attention to that one person. I'll take out his clothes, personally monitor his menu, prepare the lunch and personally deliver it to him." (Dec 9, 2006) Show less «

I like shooting after three in the afternoon. I sleep on my face and it tends to get puffy in the mo...Show more »

I like shooting after three in the afternoon. I sleep on my face and it tends to get puffy in the mornings. The face actually starts settling after noon and is at its best around six in the evening. (April 1978) Show less «

Maybe beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, in one self. So what? I don't care if it's said she's ...Show more »

Maybe beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, in one self. So what? I don't care if it's said she's on some sort of spiritual trip, she's obscure, vague, not normal.. she wants to be different. I'm not so different.. but people don't want to be common or normal. They have put me on a high pedestal.. or think I'm alien.. or.. (February 2008) Show less «

About Aishwarya Rai Bachchan taking on her role in the remake of Umrao Jaan (1981): "I am so fond of...Show more »

About Aishwarya Rai Bachchan taking on her role in the remake of Umrao Jaan (1981): "I am so fond of Ash. Even when she was a model, I was very positive of her achievements, and had huge expectations from her. People might think I'm prejudiced but I truly believe that even though 'Umrao Jaan' has done a lot for us, it will do a lot more for Ash. She truly deserves it." (October 2006) Show less «

When asked if she regretted not having children: "Not any more. I do not miss children. Even if I fi...Show more »

When asked if she regretted not having children: "Not any more. I do not miss children. Even if I find the ultimate man to have babies with, it'd be very unfair to my priorities. Because if I have a baby, I won't be able to focus on anything else. Then what happens to the babies all over the world with whom I'm connected?" (Dec 9, 2006) Show less «

"I didn't have an idea. I don't know what a man is all about, what he's supposed to be. Is he suppos...Show more »

"I didn't have an idea. I don't know what a man is all about, what he's supposed to be. Is he supposed to be a provider? Is he supposed to be a lover? Yes, I knew the lover part. I knew that by heart. I knew that my man had to be a lover. He had to love me to death. Because I didn't know any better." (October 2006) Show less «

About Aishwarya Rai: "I think she has got a very raw deal. She's our treasure but she's neither here...Show more »

About Aishwarya Rai: "I think she has got a very raw deal. She's our treasure but she's neither here nor there, with one foot in Hollywood. She has not had anything great since Devdas (2002). I will fight for her like a tigress if need be." (October 2006) Show less «

Among the models I admire, I find Aishwarya is the best. I disagree with the media that she is 'plas...Show more »

Among the models I admire, I find Aishwarya is the best. I disagree with the media that she is 'plastic'. I find her very expressive. Show less «

I'm a very shy person. Unlike what has been insinuated, it's not a strategy to retain my aura. I'm n...Show more »

I'm a very shy person. Unlike what has been insinuated, it's not a strategy to retain my aura. I'm not trying to live up to any mystery woman image. Show less «

Sometimes I really wish my life were as exciting as people think it is. Let me also add that my priv...Show more »

Sometimes I really wish my life were as exciting as people think it is. Let me also add that my private life is mine alone. I don't want to bare it for discussion and dissection. Because my life can be misunderstood and misinterpreted. Show less «

"I was never a kind of person who voiced my impressions or my feelings. I never told anybody what I ...Show more »

"I was never a kind of person who voiced my impressions or my feelings. I never told anybody what I feel. I was very shy, to open my mouth when there are men around." (October 2006) Show less «

Rekha

Rekha's FILMOGRAPHY

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