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She is the metaphor for the perfect Indian beauty. From Kanjeevarams to leotards, she could carry anything on and off screen. We trace the one and only Rekha's inimitable style through the years!
70s Inception
As a rookie, Rekha wasn't the diva you recognise today. Looking at her plump self, no one would have an inkling that she'd one day become the country's style icon. Like any other 13-year-old, she was more interested in eating, playing truant on the sets than in the clothes she wore. Fitness was a word she hadn't heard as yet. But it was her innate confidence on the screen that caught the eye of cineastes. Her debut film Sawan Bhadon was a superhit and that set the ball rolling for this teenager. Movies like Gora Aur Kala, Raampur Ka Lakshman, Kahani Kismat Ki saw her at her undemanding best. The mid-70s saw the beginning of the now famous transformation. Some say it was only after she came in contact with Amitabh Bachchan that she started grooming herself. And you could see her effort in movies with him like Do Anjaane, Khoon Pasina, Muqqaddar Ka Sikander, Mr. Natwarlal, Suhaag, Jaani Dushman and many more.
80s Indie-spunk
It was in the '80s that Rekha came into her own. She had the mother of all makeovers. Gone was the tubby teenager, who had no clue about her eyeliner or the colour of her lipstick. And a svelte woman stood in front of you or, rather, blazed the screens with a beauty so incandescent you couldn't take your eyes off her. While the Zeenat Amans and the Parveen Babis wooed the audience with their Western appeal, it was Rekha's ethnic taste that appealed to the audience. Kanjeevaram sarees, red bindi between the eyebrows, chunky gold glitter and bold red lips defined her on-screen persona. Off-screen, Indian women went crazy trying to get her look. Movies like Khubsoorat, Neeyat, Kalyug, Silsila, Umrao Jaan, Prem Tapasya, Maati Maangey Khoon, Utsav, Ijaazat and Mera Pati Sirf Mera Hai showcased the quintessential Rekha for posterity. But she was very versatile. If she looked ethereal in her Indian look, she wowed when she went Western. See Khoon Bhari Maang and Jaal and you'll know what we mean. This was the time when Rekha became adventurous while doing photo shoots for magazines. She stunned with her styling and her new looks in each shoot. This was also the time she got conscious about fitness. Like the many other trends she started, Rekha was the first one to come out with a fitness video, 'Mind And Body Temple'!
Dressed to the Nines
Her name had become synonymous with style, fashion and everything feminine. She continued to reinvent herself through the '90s. Every time she made a public appearance, curiosity about what she wore, her make-up and her hairstyle shot through the roof. Mithun Chakraborty once famously remarked, "Hers is the one face that you never tire of seeing." So whether it was feathers, weird hairdos, long boots, jeans, shells on her head, teddy bears on her plaits or intriguing headgear — Rekha did it all. Some would say she was our homegrown Madonna. She celebrated herself in movies like Madam X, International Khiladi, Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi and Insaaf Ki Devi. Is it any wonder that she was chosen to play sex guru Maya in Kamasutra?She oozed sensuality in her role. As for her photo shoots, she continued to give style a new meaning every time.
Eternity
She may have become a version of Greta Garbo today, more reclusive than a
recluse, but her fashion lives on in our minds. That's the mark of a true icon. Rekha continued to awe us even in the 2000s. Those who relegated her to playing older woman roles were indeed stunned when she blazed the screen with her item number in Parineeta. 'Kaisi Paheli Hai Yeh Zindagani', indeed! She may have stepped into older woman roles now. But even today when she makes an outing, every one clamours to see what she's wearing. Her public appearances are restricted to award functions. Yet, enough newsprint is still spent on dissecting her look. And now with her presence in the Rajya Sabha, it ought to raise even more eyebrows. Once a diva, always a diva!
Shiv Shakti
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