She redefined the ‘Bollywood heroine’ with her power-packed performances. Rekha, widely known as the ultimate queen of the Indian film industry, continues to rule the hearts of millions around the world. Her name is synonymous with flawless performances and ethereal beauty. Rekha stepped into the world of acting in 1969 and has since featured in over 150 films in an illustrious career, spanning five decades. Wrapped in her angelic beauty and timeless talent, the diva also won numerous prestigious awards and accolades. Let’s tribute the evergreen star on her birthday with a recap of her most iconic roles:
Umrao Jaan (1981)
Rekha essayed the part of a courtesan and poetess in what is touted to be her career-best performance. To play the titular role in the film adaptation of Mirza Hadi Ruswa’s novel Umrao Jaan Ada, the actress fine-tuned her Urdu at a time when she was not a very fluent Hindi speaker. Based in the 19th century Lucknow, Muzaffar Ali’s period piece is one of the best Bollywood classics ever made. Rekha won a National Award for her memorable portrayal of Umrao Jaan.
Khoon Bhari Maang (1988)
This Rakesh Roshan film changed the perception of cinegoers around female characters in Hindi films. Rekha, in what was a comeback film for her at the time, incredibly transitioned from a sari-clad damsel in distress to a fierce revengeful woman. She accepted the task to turn around the mediocre script with her impactful performance. The film is all about the resurrection of Rekha’s character and how her makeover as the femme fatale changed the course of plan set up by her greedy husband, played by Kabir Bedi.
Ghar (1978)
Rekha’s performance in this story was singled out for praise, deservedly so. She played a coy woman alongside Vinod Mehra, who essayed the role of her husband. The film depicts the aftermath of assault and rape endured by Rekha’s character. How the young married couple cope with it and mend their relationship forms the rest of the plot. Rekha’s stellar performance earned her a nomination for a Filmfare Award.
Utsav (1984)
Girish Karnad directed Rekha in this film where he stretched the bandwidth for her to explore possibilities. The film was ahead of its times, no doubt but Rekha in all her sensuality and boldness, on screen was pathbreaking in every way. Produced by Shashi Kapoor, the film also featured Shekhar Suman in a key role. Although the film is mostly remembered for Rekha’s work, Shekhar owes her the credit for giving his career a boost, quite early on.
Aastha (1997)
Almost a decade later, Rekha appeared in one of the most challenging characters of her acting career. Never one to shy off from essaying difficult roles, the actress simply dismantled every social conception of a middle class Indian wife. She plays the wife of Om Puri, who brings home limited earnings. Rekha’s character gets attracted to luxury. She is caught in a dilemma and eventually turns to prostitution. With the right influx of innocence, guilt, passion, indulgence into the character, Rekha moved every viewer in her favour with sheer brilliance and ease.
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