Rekha's life in pics

This eternal diva may be known the world over as Rekha, but she was born this day in 1954 and named Bhanurekha Ganesan. As she turns a year older we take a look at her journey so far...

Rekha was born to legendary Tamil actor Gemini Ganesan and Telugu actress Pushpavalli. Hence, the talent was innate and Rekha was destined to follow in their footsteps.

Her life began with controversy, Rekha's parents were not married and Ganesan refused to claim her as his own child. Only much later did she reveal her origins and admitted to her father's neglect, pinching her enough to shun him away thereafter.

In a recent television interview, Rekha admitted that she never had a childhood, as she always had to support her family.

Rekha with her sisters: (from left to right) Dr Revathi Swaminathan, Narayani Ganesan, Dr Kamala Selvaraj, Rekha, Vijaya Chamundeswari and Dr Jaya Shreedhar.

Rekha debuted into the film industry as a child actor, known as Baby Bhanurekha, in the Telugu film Rangula Ratnam, at the tender age of 12. Three years later, she starred in her first Hindi film Anjaana Safar (later re-titled as Do Shikari) and caused ripples of scandal over the fact that she was 'tricked' into a kissing scene with the lead actor, Biswajit.

Her big Bollywood break came with Sawan Bhadon opposite Navin Nischol, for which the young starlet had to learn Hindi.

The film was a big hit and overnight Rekha became a star!

She had some commercial hits, including Kahani Kismat Ki, Raampur ka Laxman and Pran Jaye Par Vachan Na Jaaye.

In the latter, opposite Sunil Dutt, Rekha dared to bare all in a particular scene.

Year 1976 marked a turn in her career, professionally and personally. Do Anjaane was her first character-driven role. She was also cast opposite, what would soon be, the object of her unrequited love, Amitabh Bachchan.

The film was a critically acclaimed that defined Amitabh her perfect match, on-screen.

She accepted another daring role in Ghar in 1978, with her portrayal of a rape victim. She played the role of Aarti, a newly married woman who is immensely traumatised after being gang-raped.

The film follows her character's struggle and recuperation with the help of her loving husband, played by Vinod Mehra.

The film was considered her first notable milestone, and her performance was applauded by both critics and audience. She received her first nomination for Best Actress at the Filmfare Awards.

Rekha was always considered to be controversial. It is unclear how, when and where, but allegedly the star was married to Vinod Mehra for a short while.

Later in 2004, while on Rendezvous with Simi Garewal, a television show, the actress dismissed any rumour of such a relationship and referred to the late actor as ‘just a well wisher'.

In that same year, she once again co-starred with Big B in one of Bollywood's biggest hits, Muqaddar Ka Sikander,

Rekha's performance as a courtesan earned her a Best Supporting Actress nomination at the Filmfare Awards.

Post the massive success of Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Rekha and Amitabh became the ‘hit jodi' of Bollywood. They also did Mr Natwarlal together.

Soon enough, another set of rumours did rounds about the romance between Rekha and Big B.

She was severely criticised by the media, given the fact that Bachchan was a married man.

Apparently, in 1980, this rumour went public and wife Jaya got to know about the affair. If that were true, it was strange that a year later, the Bachchans decided to act with Rekha in Yash Chopra's Silsila.

The movie, released in 1981, was the most controversial movie, where Bachchan played the lead while Rekha, the love interest, and real-wife Jaya played his jilted wife on-screen.

This was Rekha-Amitabh's last film together.

Many years later on Rendezvous with Simi Garewal, the glamourous Rekha went ahead to say, "I have yet to come across a single man, woman, child who can't help but fall hopelessly, passionately, insanely, desperately in love with him. So why should I be singled out?". But the actress denied any personal relationship with Amitabh, despite the strong rumours and other allegations.”

She further added, "Though the rumours aren't worth denying, and I am not going to define what kind of love I have for him, add all the love in the world and I love him more than that."

The film-column gossip may have contributed to her success. However, even critics had to admit that she had worked hard to perfect her Hindi and her acting, and that she had transformed herself from a "plump" duckling to a "swan" in the early 1970s. Rekha's credits to this transformation were yoga, a nutritious diet, and a disciplined life.

In 1981, she starred in Umrao Jaan. The film tells the story of a young girl, Amiran, who is kidnapped and sold in a brothel, and follows her life story there as Umrao.

Her portrayal of a sensitive courtesan has been considered one of her best performances, and she received the National Award for Best Actress for it.

Rekha's post-Bachchan era marked a new stage in her career; it was the time when she turned her career professionally.

She was willing to make an effort with parallel cinema that was soon followed by Shyam Benegal's award-winning drama Kalyug. Ramesh Talwar's Baseraa, which saw her playing a woman who marries her sister's husband, after the latter loses her mental balance and the hit Ek Hi Bhool, opposite Jeetendra, as Rekha played the role of a betrayed wife who leaves her husband. The performances in these movies went noticed and was praised by one and all.

Other notable films in the course of the 80's, included Utsav and Ijaazat.

Apart from parallel cinema, Rekha took on other challenging roles that proved her mettle. She was among the first actresses who were asked to play the lead in heroin-oriented films like Khubsoorat, Khoon Bhari Maang and Mujhe Insaaf Chahiye.

Khoon Bhari Maang saw Rekha as a shy, docile and a very homely womab in the first half, whereas in the latter, one could see sensuality ooze from her character as the femme-fatale.

Her career dipped in the 90's as she started losing the lead roles and the stardom she once possessed.

Another scandalous project of hers was Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love, directed by Mira Nair.

She also took another risk in the commercially successful Akshay Kumar starrer Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi in 1996.

Playing the role of a gangster (also winning her another award), a notable, also controversial, feature was her shower scene with the Akshay.

In 1990, she married a Delhi-based businessman Mukesh Aggarwal, a relationship that also ended in tragedy.

Their married life came to a unforeseen end when Aggarwal committed suicide a year later.

After the turn of the century, Rekha has appeared in relatively fewer movies, usually as a mother or a widow rather than the glamour queen she is. But the actress has still maintained her stature for brilliant talent.

In 2001, she starred as Ramdulari, a simple village woman, in Rajkumar Santoshi's Lajja Based on the plight of women in India. The cast included Manisha Koirala, Madhuri Dixit and Anil Kapoor.

In that same year she acted alongside Karisma Kapoor in another Shyam Benegal movie, Zubeidaa, where she played the role of the first wife of a man from a royal family, who remarries.

She next starred alongside Preity Zinta in Kundan Shah's Dil Hai Tumhaara, playing the role of Sarita, a betrayed woman who takes under her custody the extramarital daughter of her husband.

In 2003, she played Hrithik Roshan's mother in Koi...Mil Gaya.

She was then seen in a number of films, such as Parineeta and Krrish.

In 2010, Rekha received a Padma Shri for her contribution to the Indian cinema.

Rekha has left Bhanurekha far behind, and is considered to be Bollywood's most fearless female.

The only person who has stayed by Rekha's side through the highs and lows of her life is her secretary Farzana.

For over two decades Farzana has handled Rekha's professional affairs and much of her private calendar. Rekha considers Farzana as her "soul sister" and "constant companion". Farzana lives with Rekha in her Mumbai bungalow and still handles all of her dealings with the press and producers.

As for the Bachchan saga, it still makes headlines from time to time when Amitabh Bachchan ignores her at a public event, while son Abhishek meets her warmly.