"Amitabh Bachchan is not God" - Rekha
Venue: Sea Bird, a rigidly dusted and polished office room facing the sedate Bandra Sea.
How's
your
Sunday
been?
No
different
from
any
day.
Every
day
is
an
extension
of
my
growth,
of
everything
I've
become
and
want
to
become.
Now
you'll
ask
me
what
I
want
to
become.
What
do
you
want
to
become?
The
best
of
myself.
Why
this
obsession
with
'myself'?
(Animatedly)
I,
me,
myself!
Tell
me,
why
not?
I've
always
been
that
way,
it
has
worked
for
me.
Aakhir
jaan
hai
to
jahaan
hai.
I
don't
do
this
intentionally,
I
am…that's
it.
Isn't
this
extremely
narcissistic?
It
starts
that
way.
Maybe
beauty
lies
in
the
eye
of
the
beholder,
in
oneself.
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
am
not
so
different…people
don't
want
to
be
common
or
normal.
They
have
put
me
on
a
high
pedestal…or
think
I
am
alien…or…
You've
known
various
generations
of
stars.
Has
anyone
else
thought
this
way?
Tell
me
of
three
such
persons.
Why
just
three?
I
know
so
many
who
have
achieved
a
lot
in
many
fields.
Why
make
comparisons?
Why
talk
only
of
actors?
Take
my
bai,
she
had
eight
kids
before
she
was
30.
She's
expected
to
be
different
by
her
family,
stronger…the
same
way
my
life
and
experiences
have
taught
me
to
be
different.
Ever
compare
yourself
with
Meena
Kumari?
Jeeeee?
Not
in
any
which
way.
I
don't
have
her
background,
her
culture,
her
body
of
work.
She
was
truly
a
legend,
truly
mysterious.
I've
just
been
given
titles
-
she's
a
mystery,
an
enigma,
beautiful,
inaccessible,
invincible…but
I'm
not
any
of
that.
So
how
come
you
never
allow
me
into
your
house?
The
answer's
so
simple.
By
hook
or
by
crook,
those
who
must…find
their
way.
My
privacy's
worked
better
than
any
screenplay.
Anything
connected
with
my
work,
the
producers
meet
here…no
one
comes
into
my
house
except
family.
What's
your
bedroom
like?
Like
me!
Basic,
simple,
real,
extremely
comforting,
unique,
warm
and
aesthetically
attractive.
Yet
it's
common,
very
normal.
It
just
has
a
bed,
I
am
a
big
girl,
quite
tall,
and
I
need
a
big
bed.
King-sized
bed?
No.
Queen-sized
then?
No
somewhere
between
king-and
queen-sized.
What
kind
of
a
bed
is
it?
(Straight-faced)
Upholstered.
Which
is
the
best
bed
that
you've
ever
slept
in?
My
mamma's
gadi.
How
many
mirrors
in
your
house?
Are
you
making
me
out
to
be
a
Fedora?
I
am
not
good
at
numbers.
There
couldn't
be
more
than
one
in
every
room.
Do
you
remember
that
much-discussed
magazine
photograph
of
yours
kissing
a
mirror?
That
was
an
innocent
moment
suggested
by
Gautam
(Rajadhyaksha).
That
wasn't
me.
That
degree
of
self-possession
could
drive
anyone
crazy.
You've
seen
so
much
in
the
last
four
decades.
Aren't
you
quite
shyaani?
I
wish
I
were…
(pause).
No
I
take
that
back.
I
am
not
shyaani.
After
going
through
so
much
in
life,
I
still
trust
people.
What
do
you
mean
by
'going
through
so
mush
in
life'...except
maybe
the
marriage
to
Mukesh
Agarwal
that
didn't
work
out?
What
do
you
know?
Only
what
is
published.
One
goes
through
a
private
hell
every
day.
Just
because
one
chooses
not
to
announce
the
gory
details.
Today,
it's
all
about
give
and
take,
take
and
give…what's-in-it-for-me...networking.
Throats
can
be
cut
backs
can
be
stabbed.
I
don't
want
to
sound
pessimistic…but
all
this
is
more
intense
than
ever
before…
(Trails
off).
Mostly,
we
create
our
own
hells.
Hell?
When
did
you
go
through
that?
There
was
a
point…
when
I
was
really
in
hell,
in
a
cesspool,
a
dark
pit…
or
so
it
seemed
at
that
time.
In
the
public
mind,
there
has
always
been
an
association
with
Mr.
Amitabh
Bachchan.
Wouldn't
you
like
this
to
end?
(Unfazed)
Why?
I
hope
not.
Mr.
Bachchan
is
one
of
the
best
things
to
have
happened
in
my
life.
The
best
teacher,
the
best
guru…
How
come
the
best
guru,
when
you
haven't
interacted
with
him
in
years?
Well,
I've
chosen
to
learn
as
much
from
his
off-camera…as
from
his
on-camera
demeanors.
How
come
you
wore
sindoor
in
your
maang
at
a
wedding
reception
recently,
immediately
setting
off
a
big
buzz.
Ogawd!!!
I
was
going
there
straight
from
a
film
shooting…
and
I
don't
worry
about
people's
reactions.
By
the
way,
I
think
it
looks
rather
nice
on
me…sindoor
suits
me.
Cool.
In
2008,
how
is
Ma'am
Rekha
perceived?
I've
never
been
into
yeh
film
usko
mil
rahi
hai,
her
colleagues
are
doing
so
much
now.
I
am
not
about
why
she's
doing
what
on
TV?
Or
why's
she
doing
that
endorsement?
That
has
never
mattered
to
me.
My
needs
are
basic
but
profound.
Foremost,
I
am
a
woman,
an
actor
next.
I
could
have
been
a
littlie
puppy…who
knows?
I'm
blessed
that
I
have
received
so
much
adulation,
unconditional
respect,
so
many
prayers.
I
couldn't
have
asked
for
more.
You
feel
you've
done
it
all?
Never.
Like
Dilip
(Kumar)
saab
said
on
receiving
a
Lifetime
Achievement
Award,
it
feels
as
if
it
had
all
happened
to
someone
else.
Take
my
fun
side;
it
was
only
brought
out
by
Hrishida
(Mukherjee)
in
Khubsurat.
There's
so
much
more
about
me
to
explore
and
express.
Who
are
your
three
best
friends?
Farzana,
Surinder
Makan…she's
in
Delhi…and
a
certain
friend
who's
obscure,
a
godly
figure.
Ohhhhh…
Mr
Bachchan?
(Unfazed)
He's
not
God.
Human
beings
cannot
be
given
the
stature
of
God.
Let's
go
to
what
you
are
up
to
professionally.
I
sleepwalk
through
everything
I
do
I
am
doing
Sadiyaan
with
Hemaji
(Malini),
I'm
playing
Rishi
Kapoor's
wife…
the
film
introduces
Shatruji's
son
Luv.
Weren't
you
supposed
to
be
in
a
film
by
Hema
Malini?
Yes,
it's
to
be
directed
by
Revathy
with
Esha
and
me.
I
am
ready
to
do
the
film
whenever
they
are
ready.
There
have
been
efforts
to
make
you
the
Oprah
Winfrey
of
Indian
television,
right?
Ogawd!!!
I
am
not
delusional.
I
am
nowhere
close
to
her.
In
any
case,
in
my
country
I'd
be
expected
to
be
a
million
Oprahs…
and
some
more.
Would
you
be
able
to
do
a
Kaun
Banega
Crorepati
kind
of
show?
No...
Though
I've
been
offered
many
shows
on
the
same
lines.
Why
have
you
avoided
endorsements?
I've
to
still
find
an
alternative
medium
through
which
I
could
give,
what
my
fans
expect
me
to.
This
is
the
era
of
tucks
and
nips…not
my
route.
I
don't
believe
in
shortcuts.
What
about
your
much-anticipated
biography?
No
biography
can
reach
the
real
picture.
See
Dilip
saab…he's
an
allah
ka
banda.
He's
never
contrived
anything.
He
has
never
done
ads.
He
has
been
himself.
That's
what
I'd
like
to
be.
What
about
a
Rekha
concert?
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.
Okay,
tell
me…why
haven't
you
ever
tried
to
adopt
a
child?
Because
it
is
the
hardest
job
ever.
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.
I
believe
you're
promoting
your
nephew
from
San
Francisco,
Naveed,
as
a
prospective
hero.
Who
me?
He
wants
to
be
an
actor.
Does
he
have
what
it
takes?
I
am
bound
to
be
biased
about
him…
how
can
I
say
anything
more?
Personally,
I'd
say
a
gentle
soul.
Any
other
members
of
your
family
who
have
acting
potential?
Lots,
all
of
them…all
14
of
them.
Even
my
grandmas
have
had
the
potential
to
be
super-duper
actors.
And so what else could I ask you? (Lightens up) Nothing. You've asked all the questions I didn't want you to ask.