Why did Rekha attempt suicide and other such untold stories

Today is Rekha's 63rd birthday and the woman is still a mystery.

Sarwat Fatima Sarwat Fatima
अक्टूबर 10, 2017
Happy birthday Rekha! Photo Courtesy: FilmyChakkar.com

 

Rekha. Words fall short to describe this person, this enigma. A mystery to many--she has ruled the box office for decades and still rules hearts. But, there's not much you know about her. Whatever little information that comes your way is mostly exaggerated and twisted. So, who is she? As the actress celebrates her 63rd birthday today, we bring to you many untold stories about her. Straight out of the pages of Rekha--The Untold Story, the mystery comes alive. Written by television journalist Yasir Usman, the book holds some secrets that will leave you surprised.

The Real Rekha

Born in Madras, this yesteryear actress grew up without a father--majorly because he refused to accept her existence. The film industry she later ruled called her ugly. Men used her then left her heart broken. She was called the 'other woman.' The list of antidotes is endless…

Rekha. Bhanurekha Ganesan. A love child. The daughter of Tamil actress Pushpavalli and actor Gemini Ganesan. The couple had their first daughter and she was named Bhanurekha. Unfortunately, her father denied her legitimacy. She grew up without paternal care, a father's home, and his love.

When her mother went out of job, Rekha had to quit her studies and get to work. She was called fat. She was called dark. And she was called ugly. Not only that, she was abused too. At 14, she said goodbye to Tamil cinema and moved to Mumbai.

Jeetendra--Rekha's First Love

Rekha met Jeetendra while shooting for a film in Shimla. However, their brief tryst soon ended as the actor was in a relationship with then-girlfriend Shobha. In fact, they were pretty serious. Rekha then found support in actor Vinod Mehra. As per reports, Vinod is said to be the only person in her life who really understood her and loved her for what she was. But, then came a twist. Vinod's mother was dead against their match.

The actress kept trying to win over her mum-in-law, but to no avail. One day, a certain report hit headlines: Rekha attempts suicide by consuming poison. The reason? Vinod was not ready to get married to Rekha. Later, the couple had a press conference where the incident was rubbished. It was said that Rekha had accidently consumed a cockroach, which was in her food. All in all, it was a harmless case of food poisoning.

Later, she tied the knot with the actor but the marriage did not last long.

Her Life After Vinod

After her marriage ended, she met actor Kiran Kumar--son of popular actor Jeevan. The two were madly in love. Moreover, Rekha was pretty vocal about her relationship with him. Unfortunately, the news of their romance soon reached Kiran's father, who asked him to cut all ties with Rekha.

Jaya Bhaduri Was Rekha's 'Didi Bhai'

Jaya was Rekha's flatmate. She later tied the knot with Amitabh Bachchan. Though, Rekha really respected Jaya, the actress did not call her former flatmate to her wedding. This did hurt Rekha. Time passed and people got over the gossip.

But, as fate would have it--Rekha got close to Amitabh while shooting for Muqaddar Ka Sikandar and Khoon Pasina. As legend has it, Amitabh met with a major accident on the sets of Coolie. Jaya let people visit him in the hospital, but stopped Rekha from meeting him. However, Rekha did. Draped in a white sari, she visited him but kept her distance. She stood at the entry of his room and looked at him for afar.

The Death of Her Husband

In late 1980s, Rekha met Delhi-based business man Mukesh Aggarwal. The two tied the knot after seeing each other for a month. But, as luck would have it, their married life was riddled with problems. Seven months after their marriage, Mukesh, who was also suffering from depression, committed suicide at his farmhouse.  

People blamed Rekha for his death. Media reported that he had committed suicide by hanging himself (using Rekah's dupatta). A lot of hatred came her way. Some even called her a vamp. Her film posters were smeared with black ink. But, Rekha refused to comment.

She later returned with a bang and delivered superhit film Phool Bane Angaray. But, that was the beginning of an end. Her career declined. Her personal relationship with Amitabh was kept out of news and she chose not to comment on it either.

In 2004, Rekha made an appearance on the Simi Garewal show. She admitted that she loved Amitabh, but she added: so does the rest of the country. "He is perfect. It's not possible not to love him," she had said. Though, she denied having an affair with him and also refuted claims of her marriage with Vinod Mehra.

Well, her story is no less interesting than a Bollywood film. But, the truth--her heart alone knows!

Unknown Facts

  • Married to Delhi-based Mukesh, her married life was not a bed of roses. She broke ties with her husband after an ugly fight.
  • Mukesh later followed her to Mumbai, cried his heart out, chased her car in the rain but she did not stop for him.
  • Mukesh's family believes Rekha is a bisexual and she is in a relationship with her secretary Farzana.
  • When she was fourteen, she was cast in her debut Bollywood film opposite actor Vishwajeet. The film had a kissing seen, which she was not informed about. Turned out, vishwajeet kissed her on camera and that made her cry.
  • Rekha married Vinod Mehra in Kolkata. When she reached Mumbai with her newly-wedded husband, his mother almost physically assaulted her with slippers!
  • In one of her interviews, Rekha thanked her stars that she did not get pregnant. However, she admitted she has no problem with the concept of a love child.
  • Jaya Bachchan once invited Rekha for dinner. When she was about to leave, Jaya told her that she would never leave Amitabh Bachchan.

 

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