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Bollywood Insider – The tragic life of a veteran Bollywood actress who was molested at 15 and was called a ‘Witch’

Even after becoming one of Bollywood’s most renowned actresses, Rekha never fails to turn heads with her elegance, grace, and style. Every time the Bollywood actress leaves the house in a Kanjeevaram saree, her admirers can’t take their eyes off of her. But did you know that in the early years of her career, she was body-shamed and rejected because of her appearance?

Alright! If not, we’ll tell you about the difficulties Rekha, who is sometimes referred to as the Greta Garbo of Bollywood and an enigma, had when she first began her career. The actress, who is well-known for having had failed relationships, is frequently referred to as a “loner.” An actress also referred to her as a “witch,” but regrettably, none of these descriptions do justify her.

Bollywood actress Rekha and her early life struggles:

Rekha was born as Bhanurekha Ganesan, the daughter of Telugu actor Pushpavalli and superstar Gemini Ganesan from Tamil cinema. She made her acting debut in the Telugu film Rangula Ratnam in 1966 at the age of twelve, reportedly under pressure to support her family. At the tender age of 15, the actress starred in her first adult film. Rekha found these years traumatising as she had to mature quickly and grow up before her time.

Rekha experienced rejection all the time, even after making her Bollywood debut in the popular film Saawan in the 1970s. She was also filming Anjana Safar, which was released as Do Shikari, at this same period. Sadly, the actress had a very traumatic experience during the film’s production. Rekha was reportedly forced to kiss the much older Biswajeet, the film’s hero, during the filming of a romantic scene.

The director and Biswajeet Chatterjee, the lead actor, planned it all without telling Rekha. Biswajeet unexpectedly started smoozing Rekha in the scene without telling her, and they did so for nearly five minutes. As a teenager, Rekha was shocked and embarrassed by it. Sadly, the incident was referred to as a humorous one at the time, but in modern times it would have been considered sexual harassment. Yasser Usman’s book ‘Rekha: An Untold Story’ mentions this incident.

Victim of Body-shaming:

The actress’s colour and language continued to make her the target of everyone’s jokes. Rekha continued to pursue her dreams despite the ongoing body shaming.  While filming Zameen Aasmaan with Sanjay Dutt in 1984, Rekha ignited dating rumours. After their film, they allegedly became closer every day but never talked about it.

Sanjay Dutt’s mother Nargis claimed that Rekha had once given men signals and called her a witch. According to BollywoodShaadis.com Nargis remarked in 1976, “She (Rekha) used to give such signals to men that she could be easily available. In the eyes of some people, she is nothing less than a witch. Sometimes I think I understand her. I’ve worked with a lot of children with a lot of psychological problems in my time. She’s lost. She needs a strong man.”

Rekha was called a “national vamp” after her husband Mukesh Aggarwal committed suicide in 1990 by committing suicide with her dupatta. Mukesh’s mother stated in an interview, “Woh Daayan mere bete ko kha gayi. Use of Bhagwan kabhi maaf nahi karega (My son was devoured by that witch. God is not going to pardon her.)” Rejections and disappointments in her love life became her constant companion over these years.

Rekha has overcome a great deal to live a luxurious life out of the spotlight. She reportedly owns a collection of cars that includes a Mercedes-Benz S-Class (Rs. 2.17 crores), Audi A8 (Rs. 1.63 crores), Honda City (Rs. 13 lakhs), BMW i7 Electric (Rs. 2.03 crores), and a Rolls-Royce Ghost (Rs. 6.01 crores). She resides in a Rs 100 crore bungalow in Bandra, Mumbai.