EVERGREEN DIVA: Rekha and her many shades

A typical Hrishikesh Mukherjee movie, Khoobsurat was Rekha's film despite the presence of Rakesh Roshan and Ashok Kumar.

Updated on: Oct 10, 2013 1:14 PM IST

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A typical Hrishikesh Mukherjee movie, Khoobsurat was Rekha's film despite the presence of Rakesh Roshan and Ashok Kumar.

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Do Anjaane: One of the initial movies of Amitabh-Rekha pair.

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Her parents were not married, and her father did not acknowledge his paternity during her childhood.

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Rekha was born in Chennai to Tamil actor Gemini Ganesan and Telugu actress Pushpavalli.

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She has won three Filmfare Awards, two for Best Actress and one for Best Supporting Actress, for her roles in Khubsoorat (1980), Khoon Bhari Maang (1988) and Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi (1996).

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Though Rekha started her career as a child artist, her first Hindi film as a solo heroine was Saawan Bhado.

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Rekha also paired up with Amitabh Bachchan in Muqaddar Ka Sikander.

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He also experimented with some arthouse movies - Shyam Benegal's Kalyug, Govind Nihalani's Vijeta (1982), Girish Karnad's Utsav (1984) and Gulzar's Ijaazat (1987), among others.

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In the 2000s, Rekha appeared in relatively few movies, usually as a mother or a widow rather than a glamour queen. She started the decade with Bulandi, direted by Rama Rao Tatineni.

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In 1990, she married Delhi-based businessman Mukesh Aggarwal, who committed suicide in 1991. She was rumoured to have been married to actor Vinod Mehra in 1973.

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In 2011, Rediff listed her as the ninth-greatest Indian actress of all time.

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Silsila directed by Yash Chopra paired Rekha opposite Amitabh Bachchan. It also starred Jaya Bhaduri, Sanjeev Kumar and Shashi Kapoor.

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Rekha, is now also among the many prestigious actors who have taken the oath in the Rajya Sabha to become a Member of Parliament.

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Despite it being a cameo role, Rekha's sensuality as the classic crooner in Parineeta's Kaise Paheli Zindagaani was not only one of the most liked but also the most talked about performances of the film.

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Be it the chirpy Manju of Khoobsoorat, revengeful Aarti of Khoon Bhari Maang, courtesan of Umrao Jaan or even a seductive crooner in Parineeta, Rekha has breathed life into innumerable characters. As she turns 59, here's a tribute to the all-time diva.