Here Is An Ode To 'Umrao Jaan' On Her 63rd Birthday

Bhanurekha Ganesan, best known as Rekha in the film industry is the woman who has reinvented herself several times and is noted for her versatility. As an ode to the actress on her 63rd birthday today, who is acknowledged as one of the finest actresses in Indian cinema, we have listed a few of the works through which the Padma Shri awardee made her mark on not just her career graph but also on our hearts.

The actress started her career in 1966 as a child actress in the Telugu film 'Rangula Ratnam', though her film debut as a lead happened four years later with Sawan Bhadon. Having acted in over 180 films in her career spanning over 50 years, Rekha has essayed strong female characters and, apart from mainstream cinema, appeared in arthouse films, known in India as parallel cinema.

Umrao Jaan

A 1981 Bollywood film directed by Muzaffar Ali, 'Umrao Jaan' is based on the 1905 Urdu novel 'Umrao Jaan Ada'. The beautifully woven film tells the story of a Lucknow courtesan and her rise to fame. The project had a stellar cast with Naseeruddin Shah, Farooq Shaikh, Raj Babbar and Bharat Bhushan as supporting characters. Critics responded favourably to the carefully done historical setting. The soundtrack was composed by Khayyam and the lyrics were penned by Shahryar. The songs of this film, sung by Asha Bhosle, were a super hit with the Indian audience and they are still a cult for the younger generation as well.

Khubsoorat

This film which won the 1981 Filmfare Best Movie Award, is directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, with dialogues by Gulzar. The project also won Rekha her first Filmfare Best Actress Award. The movie was remade in Tamil as 'Lakshmi Vandhachu' and in Malayalam as 'Vannu Kandu Keezhadakk'i.

Lajja

Lajja is a 2001 Hindi social drama film directed by Rajkumar Santoshi. Based on the plight of women in India, this film satirises the honour with which women are placed in society and the restrictions on them. The fact that the four women's names (Maithili, Janki, Ramdulaari, and Vaidehi) are all versions of Sita, the ideal Hindu woman's name, is a message in itself. The film had Rekha essay a local midwife in a village, who is raped and burnt alive by the village leader. Although the project failed at the domestic box office, it was a commercial success outside India.

Khoon Bhari Maang

Thisrevenge thriller movie released on 12 August 1988, was directed and produced by Rakesh Roshan. It is a remake of the Australian mini-series 'Return to Eden' and stars Rekha as a wealthy widow who is almost killed by her husband and sets out for revenge. The film was a comeback venture for Rekha and was a critical and commercial success. The film was remade in Telugu as 'Gowthami', starring Suhasini. The other cast members include Kabir Bedi, Sonu Waliam, Kader Khan, Shatrughan Sinha, Rakesh Roshan and Tom Alter.

Utsav

This weave released in 1984 and was produced by Shashi Kapoor and directed by Girish Karnad. The film is based on the 2nd-century BC Sanskrit play, 'Mrichakatika' ('The Little Clay Cart') by Shudraka. Rekha's sensual and bold role as a courtesan, Vasantsena, was a much talked about role which drew masses to the theatres to witness the beauty of this diva on the big screen. The film stars Shankar Nag, Shashi Kapoor, Rekha, Amjad Khan, Anuradha Patel, Shekhar Suman, Anupam Kher, Neena Gupta, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Annu Kapoor, Sanjana Kapoor and Kunal Kapoor.

The film's music is by Laxmikant Pyarelal and is still noted for its songs like, 'Mann Kyun Behka', a rare duet by Asha Bhosle and Lata Mangeshkar, and Anuradha Paudwal's 'Mere Man Baje Mridang' for which she won the Filmfare Best Female Playback Award in 1985. The Central Board of Film Certification of India gave this movie an 'A' certificate on 23 August 1984.

Read More:These Top Actors Revised The Definition Of Women

Rekha has not just done some powerful roles in her career but has also established herself as the women in Kanjivaram Sarees. She is known for her exquisite taste in ethnic wear and her blood red lip colours. But then, this calls for another story which we will bring to you soon!

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