Rekha channels Umrao Jaan at Red Sea Film Festival while reciting shayari; says she's alive because of films. Watch

Bollywood actor Rekha was honoured at the Red Sea Film Festival during a showcase of her 1981 classic Umrao Jaan. See her speech.

Bollywood actor Rekha was felicitated with the Red Sea Honouree Award. She received the award at the screening of the restored version of Muzaffar Ali’s 1981 classic, Umrao Jaan, at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah. Channelling Umrao Jaan, Rekha even indulged in some shayari (poetry) while talking about cinema. (Also Read: Rekha pushes a fan away, refuses to take photo with her at airport)

Rekha walks the red carpet as she arrives to attend a screening of her 1981 classic Umrao Jaan, as part of the 5th edition of the Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Ammar Abd Rabbo/FACTSTORY)

Rekha talks about being alive because of films

Speaking to a fan while on stage at the Red Sea Festival, Rekha invoked lines from the famous song Dil Cheez Kya Hai from Umrao Jaan and said, “Is anjuman mein aapko aana hai baar baar ... deewar-o-dar ko gaur se pehchaan lijiye (You have to come here over and over, get familiar with these walls and doors). And I mean that.”

She then urged the audience there to watch films, talking about how healing they are and adding, “You come to see this film every single day. Come to see films every single day. That’s the only soothing factor. There’s no potion, no healing material than films. I am a living example. I am alive because of films.”

Says she’s not much of a talker

Rekha also got candid about how she’s not much of a talker and said, “I am not much of a talker. Even in Umrao Jaan, the dialogues conveyed only half of what my eyes could see and express. Muzaffar (Aziz) Saab is right. I think one look is enough.”

She also remembered her mother, Pushpavalli, and added, “As my mother always used to say, you don't talk about your achievements and feelings. You don't teach people by telling them what to do. You just live by example. You live your best life, and they can learn and evolve, especially what not to do.”

Umrao Jaan is based on Mirza Hadi Ruswa's 1899 Urdu novel Umrao Jaan Ada. The film tells the story of a Lucknow tawaif (courtesan) and poet, and her rise to fame. It is considered one of the best films in Rekha’s career.