D O B October 10,1954
Languages Hindi
Place of Birth Chennai
Known For Actor, Singer
Married Yes

Biography Bhanurekha Ganesan better known by her stage name Rekha born October is an Indian actress from Tamil Nadu India who has appeared in Bollywood films Noted for her versatility as an actress Rekha was particularly recognised for playing female-oriented characters such as that of the school-girl in Khubsoorat and the decisive avenger in Khoon Bhari Maang both of which earned her the Filmfare Best Actress Award Her portrayal of a classical courtesan in Umrao Jaan won her the National Film Award for Best Actress Throughout the s and onwards she has been featured as a sex symbol in the Indian media Rekha has acted in over films in a career that has spanned years She has reinvented herself numerous times in her career and is known for her ability to sustain her status br br Taking part in both Indian mainstream and art cinema known in India as parallel cinema she has achieved commercial success as well as critical praise for numerous of her performances throughout the years Born in Chennai India to renowned Tamil actor Gemini Ganesan and the Telugu actress Pushpavalli Her father enjoyed considerable success as an actor and Rekha was to follow in his footsteps Her More parents were not married and her father did not acknowledge his paternity during her childhood It was in early s when she was looking for a footing in the Bollywood that she revealed her origins Later at the peak of her career Rekha told a magazine interviewer that her father's neglect still rankled and that she had ignored his efforts at reconciliation br Rekha appeared as a child actor in the Telugu film Rangula Ratnam Rekha made her debut as heroine in the successful Kannada film Goadalli CID with Dr Rajkumar in In that same year she starred in her first Hindi film Anjana Safar later retitled Do Shikari She later claimed that she was tricked into a kissing scene with the leading actor Biswajit for the overseas market and the kiss made it to the Asian edition of Life magazine The film ran into censorship problems and would not be released until a decade later She had two films released in the Telugu film Amma Kosam and the Hindi film Sawan Bhadon which was considered her acting debut in Bollywood She had to learn Hindi language as her naturally spoken language was Tamil Sawan Bhadon became a hit and Rekha a star overnight She subsequently got several offers but nothing of substance Her roles were mostly just of a glamour girl She appeared in several commercially successful films at the time including Kahani Kismat Ki Raampur Ka Lakshman and Pran Jaaye Par Vachan Na Jaaye yet she was not regarded for her acting abilities Her first performance-oriented role came in when she played an ambitious woman in Do Anjaane co-starring Amitabh Bachchan The film became a hit as well as a critical success and she was widely noticed for her performance Her most significant turning point however came in with her portrayal of a rape victim in the movie Ghar She played the role of Aarti a newly married woman who gets gravely traumatised after being gang-raped and the film follows her character's struggle and recuperation with the help of her loving husband played by Vinod Mehra The film was considered her first notable milestone and her performance was applauded by both critics and audiences br br She received her first nomination for Best Actress at the Filmfare Awards In that same year she first attained fame with Muqaddar Ka Sikander in which she co-starred once again with Amitabh Bachchan The movie was the biggest hit of that year as well as one of the biggest hits of the decade and Rekha was set as one of the most successful actresses of these times The film opened to positive critical reception and Rekha's performance as a courtesan earned her a Best Supporting Actress nomination at the Filmfare In she married Delhi-based businessman Mukesh Aggarwal who committed suicide in She was rumored to have been married to actor Vinod Mehra in but in a television interview with Simi Garewal she denied being married to him referring to him as a well-wisher Rekha currently lives alone with her secretary Farzana in her Bandra home in Mumbai