REKHA LOOKS EVERGREEN EVEN AT 54

REKHA LOOKS EVERGREEN EVEN AT 54

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Rekha is justly called the evergreen actor of Bollywood. Though she turns 54 today, she looks as young, fresh, energetic and glamorous as any of today's gorgeous actress. That's why she continues to act even at this age. She will soon be seen in director Raj Kanwar's 'Sadiyaan' opposite Rishi Kapoor. Exciting, isn't it? Beginning her filmi career at a tender age of 12, she has successfully completed four decades in the film industry. Among the females, she is the only yesteryear girl to stay alive in the hearts of millions of Hindi cinema lovers as in the past 42 years. Pradeep Sarkar, who directed the recently world acclaimed 'Parineeta', has rightly called her a blend of beauty and glamour. Sarkar recalls that he found Rekha as the only choice because of her nostalgic and sensuousness for the song "Kaisi Paheli Zindagaani" for his 'Parineeta'. Among the male actors this position goes to Dev Anand, who has crossed eighty , but continues to act , direct and produce movies. Great indeed. Daughter of renowned Tamil actor Gemini Ganesan and Telugu actress Pushpavalli, Rekha was born in Chennai in 1954. Called Bhanurekha Ganesan, she began her career as a child artiste in a Telugu film Rangula Ratnam. Later as Rekha she continued her journey in more than 180 films in a career spanning 42 years. Her first Hindi film was 'Sawan Bhadon' opposite Navin Nischol. But, because of her inability to speak Hindi and being overweight, the audience showed indifference. As the time passed, she carved a niche for herself with films like 'Namak Haram' and 'Rampur Ka Lakshman' .

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After her first performance-oriented role in 1976 in 'Do Anjaane' opposite Amitabh Bachchan, she never looked back and moved ahead with Prakash Mehra's 'Muqaddar Ka Sikander' with Amitabh Bachchan. This Amitabh and Rekha screen pair became a nickname for success at box office. Rekha went on to star opposite Bachchan in a number of films, most of which were hits. She had not only a successful on-screen pair with him, but a real-life relationship, which was widely reported in the media. This relationship was ended and concluded in 1981, when they starred in Yash Chopra's drama 'Silsila'. The film was the most scandalous of their films together, as it was based on their real-life relationship. Rekha played Bachchan's love interest, while Bachchan's real-life wife, Jaya Bhaduri, played his wife. This has been their last film together, and they never have collaborated again.

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Rekha's role of a courtesan in 'Umrao Jaan' made her immortal in Bollywood. So much so that her co-star in the movie Farooq Shaikh calls her the most vibrant actor of Bollywood. He found an inspiration in Rekha's performance to play one's character better. That's why a director of great eminence like Shyam Benegal, who has worked with Rekha in 'Kalyug' and 'Zubeida' , finds her fit for any role, irrespective of its genre. Rekha gave memorable performances in 'Ghar', 'Khubsoorat', 'Silsila', 'Utsav', 'Khoon Bhari Maang', 'Zubeida', and 'Krrish' . She is an icon, but at the same time secretive about her personal life. No one knows the secret of her freshness and beauty. She continues to be a Bollywood diva. http://smashits.com/news/bollywood/movie-talk/6939/rekha-looks-evergreen-even-at-54.html