Rekha – the name is an emotion for millions of movie lovers in the Indian subcontinent. Born in Chennai on October 10, 1954 to Gemini Ganesan and Telugu actress Pushpavalli, Rekha aka Bhanurekha Ganesan has ruled over the Indian film industry as the quintessential fashion icon and versatile actress-dancer. Moreover. long before actresses gave carefully curated interviews on women-oriented cinema, gender equality and so on, Rekha dazzled the screen with her nuanced performances. Not only that, she spoke about gender equality at the time when it was not in fashion. While many from Gen-Z discuss her now-patented red carpet looks, what is riveting is her repertoire of movies. Let's take a look. IIFA 2024: Rekha Leaves Fans Nostalgic With Her 20-Minute Performance at the Grand Award Night – Check Out the Highlights!.

Rakesh Roshan's Khoon Bhari Maang (1988) might be the most popular one with Gen-Z courtesy of Rekha's performance and how she carried off unique styling with aplomb. However, the actress' trajectory till the mid-1970s wasn't exceptional. Rekha admitted that she wasn't fond of those movies. Do Anjaane (1976) with Amitabh Bachchan brought about a renaissance in how people perceived her on screen. Her new glam look was the ultimate fashion inspiration for desi women. Rekha's movie career is full of cinematic gems, and it is impossible to describe it in just a few words. Here is a lowdown on some of the milestone movies that proved the range of Rekha as an actress.

‘Operation Jackpot Nalli C.I.D 999’

Rekha, who had done a few movies as a child artiste made her grown-up debut with this Kannada movie. Operation Jackpot Nalli C.I.D 999 (1969) was a spy-thriller based on the James Bond movies. The CID 999 franchise had three other movies apart from Operation Jackpot Nalli C.I.D 999, which were Jedara Bale C.I.D 999, Goa Dalli C.I.D 999 and Operation Diamond Racket. Rekha starred alongside Rajkumar and Narasimharaju. As we know, the late Kannada star Rajkumar is one of the icons of the Indian movie industry. The CID 999 movie franchise was the first trilogy of India, praised for its technical aspects like lighting, art direction and noir elements. The plot was about how Rajkumar takes on a nuclear scientist gone rogue.

‘Sawan Bhadon’

After her Kannada debut, Rekha stepped into Hindi movies with Sawan Bhadon (1970). It was a typical family drama with a bit of a thriller element. Producer Mohan Segal's Sawan Bhadon did little for Rekha as an actress. However, the movie was a box office success and she bagged more Hindi films in the coming years. At that time, Rekha hardly fit into the mould of the traditionally beautiful Hindi film heroine.

‘Ghar’

Manik Chatterjee's Ghar hit theatres in 1978 starring Rekha and late Vinod Mehra. It was about how rape alters the loving relationship of a newly married couple. Rekha said she did not like most of her early movies, but Ghar was an exception. She was terrific as Aarti Chandra, a rape victim who goes through the cycle of shame, guilt, hopelessness and anger. The songs composed by the legendary RD Burman are eternal classics. She was nominated for Best Actress at the Filmfare Awards for Ghar.

‘Ghar’ Movie Starred the Hit Pair of Rekha and Vinod Mehra

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by RD Talkies (@rdtalkies)

‘Khubsoorat’

Hrishikesh Mukherjee cast Rekha as Manju Dayal in the delightful family comedy, Khubsoorat, where a vibrant young sister-in-law wants to free members from the undue shackles of a matriarch. Rekha won her first Filmfare Best Actress Award for Khubsoorat that released in 1980. Fans believe that she looked absolutely stunning in Khubsoorat, a movie that also gave birth to Rekha, the actress, with her fantastic performance.

‘Utsav’

Utsav (1984) was an erotic Indian drama directed by Girish Karnad. Shashi Kapoor produced and starred in it. Rekha played the role of Vasantsena, the courtesan. The movie portrayed her encounter with Charudutt, played by a young Shekhar Suman. The actress did not shy away from delivering a no-holds-barred bold performance in Utsav.

Rekha's ‘Utsav’ Was Based on the Play Mrichhakatika by Sudraka

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Chalachitra (@chala_chitra)

‘Musafir’

Musafir (1986) was written and directed by renowned filmmaker Jabbar Patel. It was a neorealist movie keeping with the parallel cinema movement in India at that time. Rekha starred with Naseeruddin Shah in the film, which was based on Vijay Tendulkar's play "Ashi Pakhare Yeti".

‘Ijaazat’

Gulzar's Ijaazat might be known amongst younger folks for the song "Katra Katra" sung by Asha Bhosle. Released in 1987, the movie is a mature romance about a woman who leaves her husband after seeing that he is emotionally involved with another woman. Naseeruddin Shah, Rekha and Anuradha Patel were first-rate performers in Ijaazat that had some beautiful songs composed by RD Burman.

‘Ijaazat’ Is a Personal Movie to Millions of Women

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Amrita (@amrita_s._)

As she turns 70, fans want Rekha to do more films and web series, given the terrific performer that she is! The Bollywood icon recently performed live to packed audiences at the IIFA Awards 2024 in Abu Dhabi, where she danced to some of Bollywood's classic songs, including her numbers. IIFA Awards 2024 Exclusive: Icons Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Rani Mukerji Reclaim the Throne, Rekha and Hema Malini Celebrated As Legends. 

Rekha is an inspiration for many artistes in India. We wish her a very Happy Birthday!

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 10, 2024 12:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).