The Eternal Beauty: Rekha Turns 59 Today

Rekha, the eternal beauty turns 59 today and she can still give any actress of the current generation a run for their money. Beautiful, sensual, gorgeous, sex-symbol are some of the words which have been used to describe Rekha. During a career spanning five decades she has acted in around 180 films and has won the national award for Umrao Jaan. She has also won the filmfare award three times and received the filmfare lifetime achievement award in 2003.

Rekha started her career with Sawan Bhadon(1970) as a lead actress, the movie became a huge hit and her career took off. At the starting point of her career she was often panned for her looks. She was known more of a glamorous girl than an actor. Her first notable performance-oriented role was in the movie Do Anjaane with Amitabh Bachchan. But the turning point of her career was when she acted in the movie, Ghar, she portrayed the role of a newly married girl who gets gang-raped and what the couple does to overcome the trauma and suffering. Click here to view images of Rekha.

After the success of Ghar, she joined the league of top actresses of that time and started getting projects from all the top filmmakers. Hrishikesh Mukherjee approached her for the film, Khoobsurat, which was a comedy movie. She agreed to do the part which earned her the first fimfare for best actress. Film World magazine wrote " Rekha has done it. Smoothly, successfully. From a plump, pelvis-jerking, cleavage-flashing temptress, she has metamorphosed into a sleek, accomplished actress."

Then came the movie for which everyone will remember her for years to come, Umrao Jaan. She was praised by both the critics and audience and got the national film award for best actress for portraying the role of a courtesan with a heart of gold. Unfortunately, her personal life was never as successful as her professional one. Her affair with Amitabh Bachchan could not materialise into anything as he was a married man and her first husband, a Delhi based industrialist committed suicide in the first year of marriage. Go through the slides to know more about her movies.

Muqaddar Ka Sikandar

The film was the top grossing hit of 1978.[2] The film was the third biggest hit of the decade after Sholay and Bobby. The film was such a huge hit, that people used to stand in queues, waiting endlessly, to buy the film's tickets. Sometimes the crowds slept in front of the cinema halls overnight in their wait for the tickets

Silsila

It is said to be loosely inspired by the alleged real life love triangle of Amitabh-Jaya-Rekha, which was the most talked about affair back then

Umrao Jaan

It is based on the famous Lucknow courtesan. The film starred Bollywood actress Rekha and Farooq Shaikh as leads.

Mr. Natwarlal

The name of film and lead character were inspired from famous and legendary conman of India, Natwarlal.

Ghar

The film about the young married couple coping with the aftermath of rape, and stars Vinod Mehra and Rekha in lead roles

Khoobsurat

The film won the 1981 Filmfare Best Movie Award. Rekha, won her first Filmfare Best Actress Award for her role as Manju Dayal.

Khoon Bhari Maang

It is a remake of the Australian mini-series, and is about a wealthy widow who is almost killed by her lover and sets out for revenge