- Rekha debuted as a leading lady in the 1970 film Sawan Bhadon
- Tej Sapru married Rekha's half-sister Dhanalakshmi in 1987
- Rekha underwent a significant physical transformation early in her career
Rekha is one of Bollywood's most iconic style and beauty icons. The actress, who made her debut as a leading lady in the 1970 film Sawan Bhadon, impressed audiences with her remarkable transformation in the next few years. Recently, her brother-in-law and actor Tej Sapru reflected on her early days in the film industry. He recalled how Rekha underwent a striking makeover after entering Bollywood.
In a conversation with Rediff Originals' YouTube channel, Tej revealed that he married Rekha's half-sister Dhanalakshmi in 1987. He also shared that even before their marriage, he considered Rekha like a sister as she would often “nearly tie rakhi” to him. Dhanalakshmi is the daughter of actress Pushpavalli and cinematographer K Prakash, while Rekha is Pushpavalli's daughter with actor Gemini Ganesan.
Addressing the misconceptions surrounding Rekha, Tej said he did not want to comment much on them but expressed his immense respect for her as an actress. “I can tell you that as an actress, the way she groomed herself, I don't think anyone can do that. I give her complete credit for it. When she started working in the movies, at that time she was fat… Everyone knows that," he recalled.
Tej also shared that he was left in awe after watching Rekha's recent appearance on the reality show Indian Idol. “I recently watched her on Indian Idol. The grace she has… She is also a tremendous singer. Even her handwriting when she writes notes or letters… I have not seen that in anyone. For a woman who was fat, she changed it and the way she changed herself, I really admire that," he added.
During an appearance on Simi Garewal's chat show in the 1980s, Rekha also spoke about her remarkable transformation and emphasised the importance of physical fitness. She said, "To be beautiful. To be a complete beautiful woman, you have to be physically fit. If you can manage to be slim, fine. Definitely not fat. Fat is ugly."
Over a career spanning more than fifty years, Rekha has starred in over 180 films. Some of her iconic movies include Umrao Jaan, Silsila, Khoon Bhari Maang, Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi, Khubsoorat and more.