Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha. The names together conjure up super-hit movies, fabulous romantic sequences and great melodies. But there is more.
While Amitabh was born on October 11, 1942, Rekha, 11 years younger, was born on October 10 and they were not just a popular screen pair but were linked off-screen as well. Today, Amitabh continues to be active in films (and on X and Instagram!) but Rekha is like a synonym for ‘Recluse’!
Their filmography is well-known. But here are some lesser-known facts about this inimitable pair.
First meeting
Rekha was friends with Jaya Bachchan (nee Bhaduri) as they lived for a while in the same building. And it was in her house that she first met the then-struggling Amitabh Bachchan, who was Jaya’s boyfriend.
The film that never happened
The first film Amitabh shortly signed with Rekha was Duniya Ka Mela, directed by Kundan Kumar, who was also making Anokhi Ada with Jeetendra and her. But Zanjeer had not happened yet, and distributors and financiers insisted that a ‘flop’ Amitabh be replaced by the more saleable Sanjay Khan. The scenes featuring Amitabh-Rekha and the lovely melody (their first duet!), ‘Yeh chehra yeh zulfen’ were re-shot with the new hero (both versions can be seen on Google!). But by 1974, when the film released, Amitabh was a superstar, and Sanjay Khan had gone well past his prime!
The trinity of friends
We have it from Hanif Zaveri’s biography on comedian Mehmood (who gave Amitabh his first solo hit in Bombay To Goa and a cameo in the 1972 Garam Masala) that Anwar Ali, the funster’s actor-brother and later producer of films like Amitabh’s Khuddaar, would often go for drive with three friends. And the other two were Jaya and Rekha!
No romance!
The first film both featured in was Namak Haram, wherein Rekha was cast with Rajesh Khanna, and not Amitabh. Do Anjaane, the first film in which they were cast romantically, was launched after that film. But the third film they starred in, Imaan Dharam, again saw Rekha with another hero—Shashi Kapoor, with Helen as Amitabh’s co-star.
The first hint of seriousness
Rekha had always taken her career lightly, despite big success in glamorous roles. It was Do Anjaane (a film that director Dulal Guha coerced her to sign!) that made her delve deep into herself and ‘become’ a serious actor. Her biography states that this was after she watched Amitabh during its shoot, and he also guided her. This is when she reportedly also fell in love with him. Her next serious role was in Alaap, again with Amitabh. Though this film failed at the BO, she was again appreciated and Hrishikesh Mukherjee (who had also helmed Namak Haram), saw her worthy of being cast her again in Khubsoorat, the film that won Rekha her first award.
The separate cameo
Hrishi-da then cast both in separate cameos in his comedy, Gol Maal. Rekha appeared as herself in a film shoot, ditto Amitabh, who was actually shooting then for the same director’s Jurmana.
The well-known Silsila behind Yash Chopra’s casting
This story is better-known. Yash Chopra’s unhappiness over casting Smita Patil as Amitabh’s wife (who is wife to Amitabh’s on-screen brother, who dies) and Parveen Babi as his love led to his thinking of casting Amitabh, Jaya and Rekha together. This was at the peak of their romance, where Jaya had reportedly forbidden her husband from acting with Rekha. Amitabh did not mind but suggested that Yash Chopra approach both. Jaya agreed only because of the climax in which her husband returns to her. The story, written by Preeti Bedi, was an ingenious spin on the real-life triangle!
‘Sensation, not work!”
Jaya is said to have mentioned later that she would not mind if Amitabh and Rekha did a film together but signing them together would be more of sensation than work. She also regretted that because of whatever had taken place, filmgoers would miss watching them as a screen pair!
A separate cameo again
Eons later, in another film industry-based movie, Farah Khan’s Om Shanti Om (2007), the two again featured as themselves in separate cameos!
Rekha’s gesture for Abhishek Bachchan!
Abhishek Bachchan was the official producer of films produced under AB Corp, their corporate home banner. Amitabh was also listed as co-producer. In this film in a sequence, Rekha comes in as herself and this was an obvious and sporting gesture of goodwill to the son. “We don’t actually come together. You will understand when you see the film!” Amitabh had commented then that there “should be no problem” in working with Rekha again if a good script comes along.
That was in 2015. Any takers out there?
10 Iconic Songs
‘Salaam-e-ishq meri jaan’ / Muqaddar Ka Sikander
‘Pardesiya yeh sach hai piya’ / Mr. Natwarlal
‘Arre aankh ladi humse’ / Ganga Ki Saugandh
‘Sherawali’ / Suhaag (with Shashi Kapoor and Parveen Babi)
‘Teri rab ne bana di jodi’ / Suhaag
‘Yaar ki khabar mil gayi’ / Ram Balram
‘Accha kaho chahe bura kaho’ / Ram Balram
‘Yeh kahaan aa gaye hum’ / Silsila
‘Dekha ek khwab to yeh silsile hue’ / Silsila
‘Pehli pehli baar dekha aisa jalwa’ / Silsila
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