A diva who defied norms: The matchless story of timeless Rekha

The first Hindi film heroine to stress physical fitness, Rekha hit the headlines when videos showing her following the exercise routine of American actress Jane Fonda were released. That was in the mid-1980s, and the Indian media, till then used to watching voluptuous heroines, could not take its eyes off Rekha.

Rekha recently debuted her Covergirl era for the July/August 2023 edition of Vogue Arabia and it is going viral, rightly so.

In 1986, she captivated the audience with her break dance in the film Jaal. In fact, with Jaal, Rekha found freedom from stereotypical roles and conventional good looks. Thus began her journey of doing out-of-the-box things. It was a remarkable turnaround for Rekha who had started as a fuller actress in Sawan Bhadon in 1970. For a few years, she struggled to make her mark. Then she did it her own way. Much before Jaal, she had won over the purists with her faultless Urdu diction in Umrao Jaan. The film is remembered as much for its beauty and dance numbers as much as for Asha Bhosle’s ghazals.

Of course, there is much more to Rekha than Umrao Jaan.

Despite being romantically linked with Amitabh Bachchan, she was bold enough to do a film like Silsila at the peak of the controversy which aroused the interest of the audiences with the casting of AB and Jaya Bachchan beside her. Silsila is popular to this day for its songs like “Dekha ek khwab toh yeh silsilay hue” and “Ye kahan aa gaye hum”. She was gorgeous in the film. Yet not many directors were ready to write special roles for her. It all changed one fine day with a Rakesh Roshan film.

Rebranding the name Rekha

Khoon Bhari Maang was where it all started. Directed by Rakesh Roshan, the movie was the story of a woman who takes revenge on her husband for trying to kill her. With this film, she made the concept of the anti-hero a reality. The slicked-back hair, the signature dark lips, and bold eyeliner, it was all just the tip of the iceberg. Little did she know that years later, she’d become an inspiration for feminists and beauty gurus.

The movie was not a single swallow for a summer. Years later, Rekha was to surprise her fans with a fresh zing in Khiladiyon Ke Khilaadi opposite Akshay Kumar. With this film, she challenged the casting of particularly younger women against older heroes. Not just that, the movie broke many sensual boundaries with the incorporation of unusual elements in the seduction game in a long song sequence between her and Kumar. She was clearly way ahead of her time. Some liked it. Some criticised it. She stayed defiant.

More importantly, the Vogue cover girl was never a prisoner of her image and didn’t let the quest for a good reputation restrict her life. For instance, she played the wronged woman with ease in Souten Ki Beti which made the audience empathise with the ‘other’ woman more than the wife, raising more questions.

Self-expression icon

There is still a lot more to Rekha than we normally get to see. On one hand, she sings ghazals on music shows, on the other, she has not been shy of speaking about the rights of the LGBTQI+ community.

Amidst all this, she has been a genius to look this bewitchingly bold and beautiful. With her abiding good looks and smart presentations, she has proved the obsession of the masses for younger women wrong. On the wrong side of 60, she retains her aura and her air of mystery. Clearly enigmatic, she is enthralling on most days, and magical when the mood overtakes her.

Rekha has not signed a film since 2014, but she told Vogue, "Whether I make films or not, it never leaves me. I have my memories to relive what I love. And when the time is right, the right project will find me."

She is smart enough to not accept a role that doesn’t tap her true potential.

An exceptional singer, Rekha has a surprising command over her voice. We all saw and heard her during an on-stage performance recently on television.

Leaving a little mystery

She has been reclusive, not open to media interviews, strongly gatekept her privacy, yet has never been averse to expressing her emotions for what she loves. When she doesn't use words, she uses her eyes to communicate.

In a viral interview clip of Rendezvous, Rekha unabashedly questions Simi Garewal's opinion when she asks her if she was planning to get married again. Rekha asks, "With a man". To which Simi says, "Well, not a woman, obviously!"

Without missing a beat, Rekha asks, "Why not?"

Rekha is one of the few legendary icons with whom even today's youth can identify. She has checked all boxes with her timeless looks, exceptional ghazal vocals and unusual self-expression at a time when it was mostly looked down upon.

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