Rekha Turns 71 Years Older: Here’s Are 7 Secret Affairs That Shocked Fans, Unseen Stories Finally Revealed

Rekha, the golden Bollywood diva whose birthday falls on October 10 which she turns 71 today has not lost her charm over the years. Born Bhanurekha Ganesan, she has had a path that was a saga of metamorphosis, extreme ability, and above all, a personal life that has always captured and sealed Bollywood into fascinating scandal. 

Not the glamorous visage of a star, but the relentless crying behind love, stability, and licit identity has brought about some of the industry’s most discussed, debated, and controversial relationships. There are many intense moments, living and loving, that remain his own unscripted movie, often overshadowing his acting roles.

The Early Years: Searching for a Surname

Rekha’s tumultuous childhood because of her being the illegitimate daughter of actors Gemini Ganesan and Pushpavalli is often cited for various twists and turns in her love life. Early on, her attempts to find an enduring bond faced the demands of fleeting romances and society’s long public scrutiny. It was the days when she was rather openly linked with several co-stars, displaying a rather sad face behind the glamorous facade.

The Iconic ‘Silsila’ and Later Heartbreaks

The most talked-about chapter in her life, however, remains the rumored relationship with a married superstar, a relationship that created a whole generation of gossip and ended melodramatically with the filmic ‘confession’ of Silsila. The sorrow from this affair led her to end up in a brief, miserable marriage.

Seven Relationships That Defined the Mystery:

Biswajeet: The torrid affair was marked by an unexpected controversy while shooting Anjana Safar (1969), where one of her co-actors forcibly kissed the then-teenage Rekha on the sets, which made headlines and unfolded her vulnerability in the industry at the time.

Jeetendra: One of her earliest affairs was quite notorious though it wasn’t a long-term one and was with a co-actor who was already married, usually called the ‘Jumping Jack’. Their chemistry was quite evident on sets such as Ek Bechara, but apparently met its end when Rekha was told it was all ‘time-pass’ nonsense.

Kiran Kumar: Rekha is reported to have dated this actor, who is the son of the late villain Jeevan. Their relationship did not grow since Kiran’s family was apparently very opposed to Rekha, not wanting their daughter-in-law to have such an image.

Vinod Mehra: This was one of the most extensively publicized, very serious relationships that landed into rumor after rumor about a secret marriage. The supposed union was subjected to quite severe, extremely public opposition from Mehra’s mother, who allegedly threatened her with a slipper when she turned up at their Calcutta residence. In the end, Rekha was definitely not married at all. 

Amitabh Bachchan: The most vocal and resilient scandal in Bollywood history, their much-anticipated affair peaked while the making of Do Anjaane and Silsila; he was, however, never quite sure about the relationship, while Rekha hinted at it time and again, especially during her appearances at wedding events with that trademark red vermilion on her forehead and the famous necklace of the mangalsutra. 

Sanjay Dutt: The linkages mostly circulated in the 1980s rumors concerning her alleged affairs during the making of the film Zameen Aasmaan. The rumors flew thick and fast, with some sections of the press even speculating that she wore sindoor (vermilion) for him. However, both refuted the link. 

Mukesh Aggarwal: A brief respite for her from various rumors came when she married a Delhi-based businessman in 1990. The marriage lasted just seven months before the man committed suicide, bringing upon her a torrent of media vitriol that briefly labeled Rekha as the ‘vamp.’ 

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