Happy Birthday Rekha! Here Are Some Of Lesser Known Controversies That Surround The Timeless Diva

Today marks the 66th birth anniversary of the glamourous actress Rekha. She is known not only for her acting prowess but also for grabbing the headlines with bold moves. A look at some little known controversies.

New Delhi: Today is the 66th birth anniversary of the talented and glamourous actress of the yesteryears Bhanurekha Ganesan better known as Rekha. The actress is noted for her versatility and is considered as one of the finest actresses in Indian cinema. She has acted in more than 180 Hindi films and won a National Film Award and three Filmfare Awards. She is also known for her style and envious saree collection. While the timeless beauty used enthrall with her acting prowess she also used to make headlines for making some bold moves. Throughout her acting career, controversies have followed her the most popular one being her rumored affair with Amitabh Bachchan.

Here are some of the lesser-known controversies surrounding her



Sindoor

She was seen sporting sindoor at Nitu and Rishi Kapoor wedding in 1980, decked in bridal style capturing a lot of attention from the media. Making matters worse, the wedding was also attended by Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, and his family. She claimed that she had come back from a shoot and didn’t have the time to take off the sindoor. But in 1982, at the National Awards, she wore sindoor again, at the event according to reports she said "In the city I come from, it's fashionable to wear sindoor." Since then Rekha has been seen wearing sindoor, while some say it is in the memory of her late husband, there are other who say it is for Amitabh Bachchan. Rekha, however, stands by the fact that she simply likes wearing it, in an interview, she said “I don’t worry about people’s reactions. By the way, I think it looks rather nice on me…sindoor suits me.”

The kiss with Hrithik

Everyone knew that Rekha is fond of Hrithik Roshan, the two worked together in the film Koi…Mil Gaya as mother and son. But at an award show, when Rekha kissed Hrithik while the cameras were flashing, it shocked Bollywood and made things awkward. With that one picture, the veteran actress killed all the motherly vibes. Rumours already flooded, as the image went viral.

Sanjay Dutt

Aside from Big B, Rekha was also linked with Sanjay Dutt who is five years younger than her, there were rumours that she started dating Dutt to make Amitabh Bachchan jealous. It was also rumoured, that she married Dutt which is why she wears sindoor. But the author of Rekha: The Untold Story, Yaseer Usman cleared the air in an interview with Hindustan Times, “Rekha and Sanjay Dutt were working in a film together, probably Zameen Aasmaan (1984). The rumors of their affair surfaced at that time. In fact, some went on to say that they got married. These rumors became so strong that Sanjay Dutt had to deny the allegations in a magazine. It was an official denial.”