She is Bollywood’s most elusive queen—worshipped, misunderstood, and forever fascinating

She glides into a room draped in silk, her kohl-lined eyes expressing both tragedy and triumph. To this day, Rekha remains one of Indian cinema’s most mysterious figures—simultaneously adored, criticised, and endlessly analysed.

On October 10, 2025, as she turns 71, we revisit a life that has been equally about performance and poetry. Behind the glamour lie stories of struggle, resilience, and reinvention. Here are ten facets of Rekha you may not have known.

Born to fame, yet unacknowledged

Rekha was born Bhanurekha Ganesan in Chennai to Tamil actor Gemini Ganesan and Telugu star Pushpavalli. However, her father never acknowledged her during her childhood, which left her family struggling financially — circumstances that led her to pursue acting as a teenager.

(Credit: thestatesman)

A family of many branches

Rekha has one sister, five half-sisters, and a half-brother from her father’s other relationships. Even with such a complex start, she has stayed wonderfully close to her extended family, showing the strength and warmth of her connections.

The reluctant child star

Her first encounter with cinema was in the 1966 Telugu film Rangula Ratnam as a child actor. By 1969, she had entered the Hindi industry with Anjana Safar, barely 15, still uncertain of the world she was entering.

(Credit: IMDB )

Silence around her origins

For years, she avoided discussing her parentage, cautious of gossip in a conservative industry. Only in the early 1970s, as she found her footing, did she publicly acknowledge her lineage.

Forced into a kiss

At just 15, on the set of Anjana Safar, she was coerced into a five-minute kissing scene with actor Biswajit Chatterjee, orchestrated by the director. It left her shaken—a harsh introduction to the predatory side of the entertainment industry.

Lost in translation

Arriving in Bombay, she felt like an outsider. She couldn’t speak Hindi, struggled with loneliness, and stuck to strict diets while missing her ailing mother. Later, she revealed in interviews how those years were some of her hardest.

(Credit: Sentinel )

Mocked before she was crowned

In her early years, critics dismissed her as too dark, too plump, too gaudy. It wasn’t until Do Anjaane (1976) and Ghar (1978) that she was finally recognised as an actress of rare intensity. She would go on to silence critics with her National Award-winning performance in Umrao Jaan (1981).

A marriage that crumbled

Her alleged marriage to actor Vinod Mehra ended in scandal, with reports that his mother violently rejected Rekha. Subsequently, she married Delhi businessman Mukesh Agarwal, only to discover he suffered from depression. His tragic suicide in 1990 cast a long shadow, with much of the industry unfairly blaming her. She bore the vilification with silence and dignity.

(Credit: News18)

The sindoor saga

At Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh’s 1980 wedding, she wore a white saree, adorned with sindoor and a mangalsutra, igniting intense speculation about her alleged relationship with Amitabh Bachchan. It remains Bollywood’s most whispered tale of love and restraint.

a survivor, always

Despite personal upheavals, Rekha constantly reinvented herself. She became an icon of style, a muse for filmmakers, and a symbol of defiance against society’s narrow codes for women. Awards, a Padma Shri in 2010, and enduring fan devotion attest to her resilience.

At 71, she proves that survival can be an art form—and that some stars shine brighter because they refuse to be fully known.