Director Muzaffar Ali has opened up about the rumoured relationship between Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha. This discussion comes in light of the re-release of their film Umrao Jaan, which hit theaters on June 27. The filmmaker shared his insights on their relationship in Rekha's biography, Rekha: The Untold Story by Yasser Usman.
"Rekha is a very sensitive woman... Amitabh Bachchan used to come and sit on our sets during the Delhi shooting of Umrao Jaan. That's a fact. Whenever referring to Amitabh, she always spoke using 'inko, inhone', like women do who consider themselves married. I think she considered herself married," Muzaffar told Yasser Usman, writes the latter in his book.
He added, "Unlike many of Rekha's and Amitabh's colleagues in the film industry, Muzaffar Ali was not cagey. He was direct and unequivocal: 'She is and she was in love with him. He should have definitely given her an identity. Amitabh should have married Rekha.'
Amitabh Bachchan got married to actress Jaya Bachchan in 1973. In the '80s, when rumours of Amitabh and Rekha's affair started making rounds, director Yash Chopra gave an interview to BBC Asia about his film Silsila that featured all three actors in lead roles.
The filmmaker said, "I was always on tenterhooks and scared because it was real life coming into reel life. Jaya is his wife and Rekha is his girlfriend; the same story is going on. Anything could have happened because they are working together."
Silsila, a film about an extramarital affair, did not work well at the box office and was declared a commercial flop. Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha never worked together again after the film.
On the work front, Rekha made her last major film appearance in 2014 release Super Nani. Amitabh Bachchan was last seen in Vettaiyan, a Tamil action drama released in 2024.
