Intuitive, unafraid, majestic. Rekha, India’s ultimate actress, remains a beacon of Eastern elegance that will transfix generations to come.
Muslin Angarkha Anarkali, churidar, jewelry, Manish Malhotra. Photo: Tarun Khiwal
She speaks in metaphors, in the tongue of poets and philosophers, but giggles like a mischievous child. When she walks in, almost gliding in a Kerala mundu sari – swathes of handcrafted diaphanous ivory muslin, lacerated at the edges with gold threads – her poise and her movements exude a hedonistic thrill. As enchanting as it seems, there is a zen-like calm about her, reminiscent of the stillness in the eye of a storm. Meanwhile her own eyes – fiery and coquettish in equal measure – have every man, woman, and child spellbound by this avatar of elegance and beauty.
Vintage brocade jacket, Mughal-inspired head gear embroidered with gold zari, jewelry, Manish Malhotra. Photo: Tarun Khiwal
Rekha, a one-woman symphony of human experience, is a living legend. You could say, it’s easier to count the hair on her head than the movements of her heart. As one of the most prolific actors in Indian cinema, whose creative oeuvre has spanned more than 54 years, playing an orchestra of characters in more than 300 films, she is unstoppable. From the comedic free-spirited woman defying a conservative family in the film Khoobsurat, a romantic paramour in Silsila desperately entangled in a love triangle, a rape survivor fighting for justice in Ghar, a mysterious woman immersed in a saga of love and loss in Ijaazat, and a wealthy woman almost killed for her money by her husband, who returns from near death to take revenge on him in Khoon Bhari Maang, among many others – she has continually fired the collective imagination with her unforgettable performances.
Rekha with her mother
Rekha was born on October 10, 1954, to Gemini Ganesan – a renowned actor in the Tamil film industry, referred to as the Kadhal Mannan (King of Romance). Her mother Pushpavalli, a Telugu actress, recognized her daughter’s burgeoning talent displayed from the time she was a child. “My mother was my mentor, a woman of such finesse she felt like a goddess, a devi. She taught me the grace of living with gentility and love. She always said I should never lose the ankh ki chamak, or ‘twinkle in the eyes,’ because it is that joyful perception that makes one appreciate the beauty of a tiny seed that grows into a majestic tree. She also advised me wisely to practice what I love, not what I preach. She set the benchmark for me, because my mother walked the talk.” Pushpavalli passed away when Rekha was in her 40s, creating a deep void felt throughout the actress’s entire life.
Utsav (1984)
To get a glimpse of Rekha’s inner-outer world, two iconic films come to mind, both contributing immensely to her astronomical rise. Serendipitously, in both the films – Umrao Jaan (1981) and Utsav (1984) – she played the role of a refined courtesan or tawaif. As Umrao Jaan, in director Muzzafar Ali’s magnum opus, she was the protagonist of tantalizing beauty in a melodramatic narrative about unrequited love, and the subversion of vice and morality in the kotha or ‘pleasure houses’ of mid-19th century Lucknow, India. The courtesans here were highly skilled practitioners of the arts, which included singing, dancing, poetry, and literature, disciplines Rekha had already perfected in real life.
A still from Umrao Jaan (1981)
Rekha, as Umrao Jaan, brought to the fore the life of cultivated courtesans who acted in conflict with patriarchal values, and instead celebrated the immaculate cultural grounding of women who would be dismissed as mere prostitutes, when in fact, royal families would send their children to study from them behind closed doors. This made Rekha a beacon of change in a young democracy. She epitomized Indo-Mughal sophistication with her lyrical speech and stunning song-and-dance sequences, her lavish costumes and jewelry (Guluband and Sath Lara necklaces embedded with rubies and emeralds) – all displaying extraordinary opulence that single-handedly resurrected the glory of bygone days in popular culture. This film received six National Film Awards in 1982 including Best Actress for Rekha. Even today, for classical dancers, urban fashion designers, artists, and especially feisty actresses, Rekha remains an ever-lasting inspiration.
Gown, velvet peshwa hat, custom velvet shoes, earrings, bangles, rings, Manish Malhotra. Photo: Tarun Khiwal
Film after film, Rekha became the cynosure of everyone’s eyes, including Bollywood megastars like Shah Rukh Khan, who said, “Her charisma is unmatched, and she leaves an indelible mark on every role she portrays.” Today every young actress worth her salt remains in awe of her. “Rekha’s aura is magnetic. She can effortlessly captivate an entire audience with just a glance, and her performances are a masterclass in acting,” says Deepika Padukone.
Jacket, Farsi skirt, shirt, headpiece, necklaces, cuffs, rings, Manish Malhotra; cuff links, Swarovski; shoes, earrings, Schiaparelli. Photo: Tarun Khiwal
Rekha is an enigma. And to understand her cinematic persona, one must dwell on the person first. Her inner life of enchantment has always informed her outer life, presented in cinema to millions of her intergenerational fans. “I have always lived like an Indian princess, not that anyone is privy to it. I live like that because I feel it. It’s not just a state of mind, but the state of my life.” Inflamed by the tales of One Thousand and One Nights, what she brought to the big screen was from the depths of her inner passion for the art of living, a world she already inhabited, engulfed in the romance of poetry, pathos, and philosophy.
Cape, headgear, cuffs, Incognid’or; earrings, Rekha’s own; necklace, Schiaparelli; rings, Manish Malhotra. Photo: Tarun Khiwal
Not appearing on movie screens or accepting any acting role since 2014, today Rekha says she is a “joyful and fulfilled recluse” and will appear in public only when she is dictated by her “flow of instinct. My person is my own, but my cinematic persona is in the eyes of the beholder. Therefore I choose where I want to be and where I don’t want to be. I am so blessed to have earned the right to choose what I love. And to have the luxury to simply say no. This keeps my soul alert,” says Rekha. This cover with Vogue Arabia, the actor’s first Vogue cover, is a case in point, and a very rare media appearance for the star who chose not to have any interviews for over two decades. “I simply loved the way it chose me. The way Manuel, the editor-in-chief, followed his own instinct, and had the courage and kindness to ask me, was endearing and irresistible.” After she agreed, Rekha stunned the team with her dedication and expertise as she immersed herself in the co-creation of the editorial – styling, makeup, clothes, jewelry, with acute knowledge of camerawork, lighting, editing – and every aspect of the production. She had an unwavering admirer in Manish Malhotra, one of India’s top designers, to help her realize her sartorial vision for this shoot. “Manish moved heaven and earth to craft my vision into clothes. To have him leave everything and work tirelessly with me like a wise, patient pujari [priest], I couldn’t have asked for a better executioner of my dreams,” says Rekha.
Jacket, trousers, shirt, cravat, top hat, neck pin, shoes, Manish Malhotra; earrings, rings, Rekha’s own. Photo: Tarun Khiwal
Top that with the bespoke one-of-a-kind Maharaja necklace by Van Cleef and Arpels – a stunning 161.62ct piece that took 5,000 hours to make – that Rekha paired with her luxurious, handmade Indian sari, and a tribute to the magical duet between East and West was seen. “I truly felt all this was divine intervention. I was born with an instinct for the perseverance of beauty. Sure, I was born to actors, and I have done more than 300 films, but it is my insatiable quest for learning, my willingness to keep my eyes and heart open, absorbing beauty with positivity not negativity, that gives me command over my craft. I feel like a newcomer every day. And I trust those who demonstrate commitment like I do.”
In 2010, Rekha received the Padma Shri, one of India’s highest civilian awards, by the then President of India, Pratibha Patil
The actress epitomizes a beautiful word in Urdu called adaa, which means grace and elegance, and the consciousness of everyday living that seeks grandeur in all acts – high or humble. It is no wonder that no amount of acting prowess could possibly have given anyone this level of exhilarating authenticity as Rekha. This zeal for life she turned onto the silver screen, and the audience loved it. In 2010, Rekha was conferred the Padma Shri, one of India’s highest civilian awards, by the President of India for distinguished service of the arts. “To make the ordinary extraordinary, I learned long ago that authenticity is key. But how do you recognize it? My mother taught me by just the way she lived and created a home that was very sensorial. I was immersed in her world of Sufi music, Urdu shayari (poems), Chettinad art, and South Indian culture that I imbibed subliminally,” says Rekha. “She lived without synthetics, plastics, and wore pure organic fabrics because everything she touched was sacred to her. This sense of adoration for the aesthete has never left me.”
Muslin Angarkha Anarkali, churidar, jewelry, Manish Malhotra. Photo: Tarun Khiwal
Today her home in Mumbai, Pushpavalli, is named after her mother. And everything that she decorates it with – antiques, rare art and books, vintage textiles – are all a homage to her childhood abode. “I worship the values of my family and my culture. For me, even the simple act of cleaning my home is an act of sewa (spiritual service). When my mother talked about the chamak or the ‘twinkle in the eyes,’ I now see it on the surface of a well-polished pillar or a glistening chandelier. And imagine what that little glint must look like in my home that is lit up at night, not by electricity, but by hundreds of fragrant candles. I do not need to go to a temple to pray, my home is my shrine to the joy of now. My garden alone has 20-odd alcoves of prayer. All I need to be is still and present. My life feels like a living dream.” The ever-ravishing Rekha, who celebrates her 70th birthday next year, continues to remain captivating to a new generation of young actors and audiences, for whom she is a living cinematic deity of mythical proportions. Her sartorial glamour and her tehzeeb, or her refinement in every aspect of her life and her perpetual endeavor to cultivate it further, makes her one of the most admired women in the Indian diaspora. But it is her self-introspection that gives her the awareness, the endless source of energy, her shakti, the inner fire.
Cape, headgear, cuffs, Incognid’or; earrings, Rekha’s own; necklace, Schiaparelli; rings, Manish Malhotra. Photo: Tarun Khiwal
“Today there is an avalanche of young talent with extraordinary skills and I am thoroughly impressed by their debut performances,” says Rekha. “And it gives me great pleasure that I am here to witness their rise. It is also incredibly heartening to see how they resonate with me when so many of my colleagues have been long forgotten by this new generation. They recognize that the work I do now, very sparingly, is still done with a sense of great reverence for the craft, with gratitude, and absolute love.”
Vintage Kanjivaram sari, silk blouse, Rehka’s own; Maharaja jewelry set, Van Cleef & Arpels. Photo: Tarun Khiwal
It is fair to say, Rekha is to India what Sophia Loren is to Italy, and Greta Garbo to America. Each of these women have been the vanguards of what psychologists call the “depth of experience,” their larger-than-life personas transcending their careers, taking all those in their shade on an exuberant trip. Rekha’s love affair with films is like a deep relationship with a person. “When you love someone or something so deeply, does the love disappear?” she asks. “No. Once the relationship is established it is forever. Sometimes we may want more and sometimes it’s just enough. This applies to my craft. Whether I make films or not, it never leaves me. I have my memories to relive what I love. And when the time is right, the right project will find me.” Rekha’s lust for life is insatiable and her commitment to being the best version of herself is a lifelong quest. “The refinement of the mind is not always about the breadth of experience, which is wonderful when you are young and hungry for new adventures,” says Rekha. “But right now, I believe in the depth of my lived experience. I want to dig for wisdom in the midst of a flower blooming in the sunshine, and the simplicity of my garden coming alive under a sudden burst of rain. This commitment to the magic of life is true of my relationships, my career, and my own inner life.”
Silk kurta set with an antique gold zardozi dupatta, shoes, jewelry, Manish Malhotra. Photo: Tarun Khiwal
At the core, Rekha has perfected the art of listening to her intuition and her inner voice. She is unafraid of the seasons of life, which author Clarissa Pinkola Estés says in Women Who Run With the Wolves are “seasons of doing and solitude, running and staying, being involved and being removed, questing and resting, creating and incubating, being of the world and returning to the soul-place.” “I am my own hugely amused audience,” says Rekha, the eternal star.
Photo: Tarun Khiwal
Photo: Tarun Khiwal
Photo: Tarun Khiwal
Photo: Tarun Khiwal
Photo: Tarun Khiwal
Photo: Tarun Khiwal
Photo: Tarun Khiwal
Photo: Tarun Khiwal
Photo: Tarun Khiwal
Photo: Tarun Khiwal
Photo: Tarun Khiwal
Photo: Tarun Khiwal
Photo: Tarun Khiwal
Photo: Tarun Khiwal
Photo: Tarun Khiwal
Photo: Tarun Khiwal
Photo: Tarun Khiwal
Originally published in the July/August 2023 issue of Vogue Arabia
Style: Manish Malhotra
Photography assistants: Abhishek Verma, Hussam Ul Wahid
Creative producer: Ankita Chandra
Local production: IKP
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