is not meena shorey or sheila moved to pakistan..or i a wrong...

anyone knowing abt this actress called nishi and vimmi(i m confused with names)..i think one of them is married to rajkumar kohli..and also acted in b r chopra's humraaz

Jassi, Nishi usually acted in a B grade films. So did Indira Billi, Vijay Chowdhry and others. Of course, Vijaya had a good role as Nutan's sister in Saraswati Chandra.

Vimmi is something else. I will write a line or two about my personal experences with her once Reeth comes up with an article about her.

O;k Jassi, Nasir...Here's Vimi and Nishi....


Vimi

Vimi was a headstrong Punjabi girl who first rebelled against her parents when she married
Shiv Agarwal, a Marwari industrialist's son. But a second shock was in store for her in-laws.
Though married and a mother, Vimi was so beautiful that she attracted attention despite keeping
to herself at a party in Calcutta. Music director Ravi took the initiative, invited Vimi and Shiv to
Bombay and threw a party to introduce her to B. R. Chopra. And so, she became the heroine
of 'Humraaz'.

Click to view attachment


Against the wishes of her in-laws, but supported by husband Shiv Agarwal, she entered films. The
Agarwals disowned the couple. As Sunil Dutt sang to her (Na Sar Jhuka Ke Jeeo, Na Munh
Chhupako Jeeo) the enchanting image of Vimi won the viewers' hearts. The film was a hit but
Vimi seemed to be more interested in what she was wearing and her make-up rather than in the
character.

Producers slowly heard how she had to give take after take before giving a passable shot. Husband Shiv
too was found to be 'interfering'. Vimi did a few more films ('Vachan','Patanga', 'Aabroo') but the money
was peanuts for the couple who was used to an expensive lifestyle. Finances from their family had long
back dried up. The couple split.


Click to view attachment


The husband returned to his family and Vimi started living with Jolly, a dubious film maker. The
wooden but beautiful actress was no use to the producers, and she found solace in alcohol - cheap
alcohol which ultimately killed her.There were rumours that She had even taken to prostitution to
make money .....
When she died, there was not enough money to even cremate her. She was taken on a 'thela' by Jolly
and a couple of other well-wishers to the Santacruz crematorium. But she is still remembered for
her fragile, out-of- the- world beauty.

Films

Humraaz
Aabroo
Naanak naam jahaz hai
Patanga
Guddi(as herself..)
Kahin aar kahin paar(1971)

[Source]


Nishi

Click to view attachment


Filmography

# Ganwaar (1970)
# Moojrim (1970)
# Nanak Naam Jahaz Hai (1969)
# Lutera (1965)
# Naya Kanoon (1965)
# Aaya Toofan (1964) .
# Hercules (1964)
# Bin Badal Barsaat (1963)
# Pyar Ka Bandhan (1963)
# Vallah Kya Baat Hai (1962)
# Boy Friend (1961)
# Dark Street (1961)
# Guddi (1961)
# Pyaar Ki Pyaas (1961)
# Parakh (1960)
# Tu Nahin Aur Sahi (1960) .... Actress
# Forty Days(Chalis din)(1959)
# Insan Jaag Utha (1959)
# Kangan (1959)
# Main Nashe Men Hoon (1959)
# Baghi Sipahi (1958)
# Chaubees Ghante (1958)
# Phagun (1958)
# Mera Salaam (1957)
# Samundar (1957)
# Kismet (1956)

Click to view attachment

Not much information is available about this actress...
Some melodious and popular songs have been picturised on her...
Kaho aake bahaar kare mera singaar....chalis din
Aaj ka salaam lo kal ka vaada pakka-Chalis din
Yeh rang bhare baadal .....Tu nahin aur sahi
Nazar nazar se ho rahi hai baat pyar ki....Mein nashein mein hoon
maine toh nahin pee ....Mein nashein mein hoon
Bin badal barsaat....Bin badal barsat

She is married to Filmmaker Raj Kumar Santoshi...

Click to view attachment

Thank you Reeth for the articles on Vimi and Nishi.

In 1966-67 I had gone to Calcutta to try my fortune after just doing my high school graduation I was lodging at the house of my father's Hindu friend, Mr. Sharma. It was there that I got intimate information from our Nepali Ayah who had just been fired by Vimi. Vimi was already famous by then for starring in HUMRAAZ. Naturally, what she told me was so sleazy a stuff that it remained with me for years together.

I would mention only one thing out of the many since it would not be proper. From her I learnt that Vimi was already a married person and had two children. That was shocking enough since seldom a huge banner comes to the lot of an already married actress. The second shocking thing she revealed was about Vimi's drinking habits. It appears that Vimi used to come home very late in such a sodden state that she used to be literally picked up and carried to the bedroom by her male-servants. I wouldn't want to relate any further on this from here. So that's what I had heard about Vimi from a first-hand report and forgotten about her - till many years later.

I hardly stayed in Calcutta for four months and came back to Bombay. it was some years later that I was to actually see her in person. Her film career was over by then. I used to work in a court of law. When I got a first glmpse of her she was standing outside the court-room. For a moment I thought that it was Saira Banu. Such was her beauty still. However, my lawyer friend, one Mr. Shyamani, told me that he was appearing for her in a matrimonial case. Yes, she and Agarwal had already split and used to frequent our court-room off and on when TAARIKH PE TAARIKH used to be given. However, the most tragic part was to be enacted later when my friend told me that she had died an ignominious death - for she had been suffering from Cirrhosis of the liver. Alas for her!

Dear Shri Reeth,

This thread of yours always fascnates me. It is not only interesting stuff, but is highly informative too. And Nasir Saab appears to have met almost everybody in the Bolywood. We are lucky to have him share with us his moments of glory as well as despair...

Now I am not aware if you have covered Manorama, who (I have read)was a popular heroine in her own right in her youth. Since she died only this week I will appreciate if you can tell us about her career too.

Subhash G. Deo

Wow, what a sad story of Vimi, I did not know the goings on in her life. When I saw the movie Humraz, I enjoyed it though you could tell she was not actress of any kind. NO symapthy from life when you treat it wrong!!!
RKA

Hi
I remember seeing Nishi in three Punjabi films in the 50's and early sixties. They were Bhangra, Guddi, and Patola (?). Bhangra came out after a long dry spell of some years when no Punjabi movies were made.. I saw it in 1958 or around that time. Guddi was released a year or two after Bhangra. It had a popular Rafi song 'Dana Pani khich kay lionda kon kisse da khanda ho'. Patola was a so so movie with Ashok Kumar Pardeep Kumar and Achla Sachdev in the cast and came after the above two.Nishi was well regarded as a Punjabi movie star but she wanted to act in Hindi movies where she had only limited success. Harjinder

Hi
Meena Shorey the 'Lara Lappa' ( Film- Ek Thi Ladki) girl had moved to Lahore after partition. She and her husband Roop K. Shorey, who had made some well known Punjabi movies in the pre-partition era, had gone there with the intention of making Punjabi movies. But she decided to stay in Lahore when her husband wanted to go back to Bombay. This disheartened him and he pretty much gave up movie making.She stayed in Lahore till her death but last years of her life were rather sad when she had run short of money and did not have anyone to take care of herself. I think a few months ago SurHall ji had poted a news item on this website about her death.Harjinder

Reeth and Nasir...Thanks a lot for the memoir on Vimmi and Nishi. I literally grew up listening to the enchanting songs of Humraaz..and when i saw the film, it was a big disappointment.. Vimmi was the most non-actress i have seen till date. She is indeed very lucky to have acted in that film filled with beautiful songs...
Life is like that...as the song says..." Oh maati ke putle itna na kar tu guman..tu pal bhar ka hai mehmaan.."
Nasir, thanks for the first hand account...It was awful to go that way.

She is married to Raj Kumar Kohli.
The most successful and greatest heroine of punjabi movies so far.

You have not mentioned about two top hindi songs picturised on her.

1. Yaad tori aayi main to chhum chhum royi re...asha....faulad
2. Kisi ko pata na chale baat ka...lata...lutera

About Meena Shorie....excerpts from her interview given in the year 1985
courtesy....Pulkit Sharma.

My real name is Khursheed Jahan. I had two sisters and a brother.
Wazir Begum was my elder sister. Rukhsana and Siddique were
younger to me. Our father Mian Barkat Ali was an agriculturist
from Multan. But due to his irresponsible ways, all lands had
to be sold off one by one, and ultimately we shifted to Lahore.
Here, he started a dyeing business, but this too failed. Money
problems led to domestic squabbles and things became very very
difficult. My elder sister then got married to one Aslam, who
was from Bombay and had some connections with the film industry.
After some time, she called our mother and the other siblings
to come over and live with her in Bombay. Rather than feel
sad, my father was in fact happy at getting rid of his "liabi-
lities". Soon afterwards, he remarried.


Times were hard. Bombay was a much costlier city. I wanted to
join the film industry. Once I accompanied my brother-in-law
Aslam to attend the muhurat of a film. It was Sohrab Modi's
"Sikandar". One of my friends had loaned me a beautiful dress
to wear. Though I was only about 12 years at the time, I looked
a little older and was the cynosure of all eyes at the studio
set which was very crowded. Some people even thought that I was
the heroine of the film. Actually, Vanmala had been cast in this
film opposite Prithviraj Kapoor. Sohrab Modi was busy in arranging
the lights etc. but, seeing the commotion, he came to where we
stood, looked me over, and straightway told Aslam that he wanted
to cast me in his next film. He said that he was in fact on the
look-out for a beautiful girl like me, who could pose a worth-
while challenge to Naseem Banu, who was renowned for her beauty.
I was of course overjoyed and succeeded in persuading my mother
to let me join films and thus my career began.


Sohrab Modi got me to sign an agreement where, he told me, there
was a stupulation that I couln't accept any outside film for one
year. This film (made by Sohrab Modi) was a great hit and my
career was really launched. It was the beginning of a very
happy and prosperous period. We moved into a new house. There
were lots of offers which I couldn't accept. The well-known
Director-Producer Mehboob Khan wasnted to cast me in his film
"Humayun" and even spoke to Sohrab Modi but the latter refused
to release me from his contract. In his next film "Prithvi
Vallabh", I was cast opposit a very handsome actor Al-Nasir.
We fell in love and got married. The film too proved very
successful. Life couldn't have been better.


Around this time, a film-maker Roop K. Shorey came to Bombay
from Lahore. He wanted to cast me in his new film "Shalimar"
but my contract with Sohrab Modi again came in the way.
Instead, Begum Para did the film, opposite Chandramohan. In
those days, Bombay film-stars often visited Lahore, which was
another big film centre. On one such visit, I met Dalsukh
Pancholi. He announced two films "Shehr se Door" and "Arsi"
where I was to star as the leading lady. But, after the
shooting had begun, Sohrab Modi sent a legal notice to me and
Pancholi, claiming damages of Rs. 3 lakhs. I was surprised, as
the one-year period was long over. It turned out that Modi
had taken advantage of my being illiterate and fraudulently
altered the restrictive provision from one to three years.
I came back to Bombay and pleaded with Modi not to destroy my
film career but he refused to budge. For about an year, I had
to remain idle. Then, Modi demanded Rs. 60,000/- from me as
his price for releasing me from the contract. I met his wife,
Mehtab, and requested her to intercede on my behalf. Ultimately,
the matter was resolved on payment of Rs. 30,000/-. I then
returned to Lahore.


My husband Al-Nasir remained behind in Bombay and continued to
work in films. He was a philanderer and had relations with many
women, betraying my faith and love. First, he befriended
Kuldip Kaur, who say through his game. After some time, he
married Manorama but left her soon. Then he married Veena.
Faced with this situation, I obtained a divorce from him.


In Lahore, I began shooting for Pancholi's "PatJhar" with a new
leading man. Geeta Bali too was cast in the movie. It was
only half-completed when the country was partitioned and
Pakistan came into being. Since I had several films lined up
in Bombay, I decided to go back there, along with my family.
I acted in films like "Actress". "Kale Badal" and "Dukhiari".
In those days, I lived in a flat near Shivaji Park. Majnu,
a comedian and character-actor, also lived nearby. He told
me that, following Partition, Director Roop Shorey had come
to Bombay and was living in a hotel. Financially, he was so
hard up that he had no money to even pay his hotel bills. I
felt very sad. I had seen him in his heyday. He was a very
generous man and had helped me in my early career. I had also
acted in his film "Rut Rangeeli". On hearing of his plight,
I went to see him, paid off all his bills and brought him to
live in my flat. I suggested to him that he could resume
film-making and promised to finance his ventures. Shorey's
next film, made with my finance, was "Chaman" and it was quite
successful. Om Prakash had acted in this movie. Then,
Shorey made "Ek Thi Ladki", where the biggest hero of the day,
Motilal, acted opposite me. The film was hugely successful and
its song "Lara Lappa" became a phenomenal hit. Right from the
days of our earlier association, I had felt a sort of gratitude
towards Shorey. In Bombay, we became very good friends. Once,
we went to Calcutta, where he proposed to me. Though he was
already married, I was told that the (bigamy) laws were not
applicable in Bengal. Accordingly, we decided to get married
in Calcutta. He was in fact prepared to become a Muslim. But,
in order to repay him for all his past favours, I decided to
marry him according to Hindu rites. Thus I became Meena Shorey.


In 1954, the Pakistani film industry started a fierce agitation
against Indian films, although Indian films and film-stars
remained very popular with the Pakistani people. Two years
later, I decided to come over to Pakistan and straightway began
receiving film offers. My first film here was "Miss 1956",
which was made in Karachi. On its release, I came to be known
as the topmost heroine in Pakistan. Then a well-known film-maker
Anwar Kamal Pasha signed me on for his film "Sarfarosh", where
I had to play a Princess. A great many costly costumes were got
prepared for the role. Just then, I came to Bombay for a few
days to meet my husband (Shroie). In my absence, another Pakis-
tani actress Sabeeha Khanam plotted against me and got my part
changed to that of a bandit queen. Feeling outraged, I declined
the film. But then I relented, when the producer's father
Hakim Shuja Pasha came to my house and pleaded with me to save
him and his son from financial ruin.


Time continued to elapse. I met actor Asad Bukhari when he was
cast opposite me in "Jamalo". We fell in love and got married
during the making of this film. But he proved to be a most
selfish person. For his sake, I made another film which bombed
at the box office. Although he didn't spend a single paisa on
this film, he started distancing himself from me. Once when
we met in a studio, he even went to th extent of denying our
marriage. All this broke my heart and I decided to leave the
film industry for good.


---------------------------------------------------------------


Note : This interview was done in 1985. Meena Shorey died on
the 13th September 1987.


and Coursey Ummer

Meena Shorey was the silver screen temptress of the 40's and the 50's. She made her debut in Sikander (1942), the memorable Sohrab Modi production starring Prithvi Raj as the world conqueror. Meena starred as the sister of Ambhi, the rajah of Taxila. After her marriage with Roop K. Shorey of the Shorey Studios, Lahore, she migrated to Bombay when the partition riots made it difficult for them to stay in Lahore (The Shorey Studios was soon burnt down by a gang of self-righteous reformers).


Eik Thi Ladki, made by her husband in 1949 in Bombay, dubbed her as the sensational Lara Lappa Girl (after one of the popular songs from that film). Just when the glamour of this achievement was beginning to decline the couple was called to Lahore by J.C. Anand. He had used an Indian soundtrack (Hemant Kumar's number Na Yeh chand ho ga) in his successful movie Sassi last year and now he wanted to improve the status of his plagiarism by imitating the concept of an entire film: Guru Datt-Madhubala hit Mr. & Mrs. 55. What came out was Miss 56.


Although the film did average to good business, it proved to be the swan song of the Shoreys. Meena, the Lara Lappa Girl of the forties was pampered by all, in contrast with the treatment meted out to declining artistes by film-goers in Bombay. For her it was like rediscovering her youth. So when the time came to return to India, she decided to stay back, leaving heart-broken Roop to take yet another trip from Lahore empty-handed, within a span of ten years, first losing his means of livelihood and then his sweetheart. That was the separation of the Shoreys. As time was to reveal, it did no good to any of them. Apart from a few side roles in major films like Sarfarosh (1956), Bedari (1957), and Mauseeqar (1962) she was soon reduced to obscure films with titles that sounded like Jagga (1958), Bacha Jhamoura (1959), Behrupiya (1960)and Jamalo (1962) before her ultimate descent into negative old-age role of a `Madam' running a network of bonded prostitution in Khamosh Raho (1964).


The final part of her life story is almost too painful to be real. While Roop K. Shorey died in 1973 in India, from a broken heart over the separation from his sweetheart, the former wife of the studio owner and once a bright star in the galaxy of Bollywood was reduced to extremely destitute living by the end of her life before her death in 1989. She was last seen in the television program Silver Jubilee in 1983 and then mentioned in one news item as having had stood up in a function begging for charity money to marry off her sister's daughters. Muhammad Ali, who had played a younger (and his first great) role against her in Khamosh Raho was reported to have given her moral support on that occasion. It is said that even her burial was arranged with charity money.

i got it abt both nishi & vimmi(i think vimmi just acted in one punjabi film)..nishi was quite famous in punjabi films,also indira billi(i would like to know abt her too)..

as abt vimmi,i heard she was havin an affair with dheeraj kumar(roti kapda aur makaan,daaj fame actor)..and she was pregnet with his child..and its believed that the child was saurav ganguli..(it could be falce too)

Thanks Mahesh for that huge input on Meena Shorey.

Meena Shorey did look like a temptress but with Salwar-Kameez mind you. That's how she appears in Ek Thi Ladki at least. Her role was that of a Stenographer who knows neither Typing nor Shorthand. Regarding the account of Al-Nasir's infidelity, it appears that he went for well-built women: Kuldip Kaur, Manorma and Veena besides Meena Shorey.

I had the opportunity of watching Al-Nasir in some movies, as a small kid. MERA SALAAM was one of them. I think Bina Rai was the heroine opposite Bharat Bhushan. (Nishi too appears here). This movie was released at the Liberty Cinema, Bombay. There was one Naath by Rafi Sahaab and another and chorus: MADINEY WAALE SE MERA SALAAM KEH DENA.... I also had the opportunity of watching his two other films such as Sakhi Hatim (B Grade one starring Chitra and Daljit) and Amarsingh Rathod which had Jairaj and Nirupa Roy as the lead pair. The last-named, I remember, was released at the Super Cinema in Bombay.
Yes, Al-Nasir did look fair and handsome - perhaps he was of arab descent as the word AL seems to suggest. He was also instrumental for breathing into Gregory Peck's ears at the Ambassador Hotel, BOmbay, that Suraiya was his great fan which resulted in the Hollywood Star knocking at her doors at midnight.

Most welcome Shri Subhash.....We are indeed lucky to have members like Nasir, Mahesh and others who are knowledgeable and share it with all of us....
Surhall has written about Actress Manorama in a different thread...
Here are some pics from her last movie Water...Playing the role of a corrupt and greedy hostel warden of a widow's home....


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Thank you Nasir..as always you make this thread interesting by adding your personal touch...
Film world has had many such tragedies right from Guru dutt,Geeta dutt,Meena kumari .....;It has a fatalistic attraction ,which one is able to overcome once one becomes part of it and then some of them(weaker personalities?or is it the more emotional ones?) get drawn into it more and more...only to reach a tragic end...sad indeed!





You said it.....

That is exactly my feeling...
You are most welcome sf ........I too have always felt that she was lucky to have got such a
fantastic break.....

Thanks Harjinder for all the inputs......

Meena shorey...singing laralappa....
Click to view attachment

What can i say Mahesh?Thanks a million for all the details ....

Jassi Where did you get that from? Be careful madame...you never know
Dheeraj Kumar might be a member of HF and if he happens to see this he might sue you for Slander and defamation and what not!!!!
and as for Saurav Ganguly and the Bengalis...... you are in one big trouble.....

see i wrote it could be falce..some two years back i got to read an article on sulekha.com(i was even havin link to that article,but its not working now)..i m not spreading rumours,i just wrote what i read
..u scared me..should i edit the post..i guess nasir might be knowin somethin abt this,if it was rumour or what...

Jassi I know you added a qualification: " It could be fake..." Good. But we need to be careful in any case.


You can get info about defamation (in Indian Penal Code if you are in India) section 498 onwards. S.500 gives the extent of punishment. There are many exceptions too. But even then it's difficult to come within them. So it appears.

Examples:

A says "Z is an honest man; he never stole B's watch"; intending to cause it to be believed the Z did steal B's watch. This is defamation, unless it falls within one of the exceptions.

( A is asked who stole B's watch. A points to Z, intending to cause it to be believed that Z stole B's watch. This is defamation, unless it falls with one of the exceptions.

© A draws a picture of Z running away with B's watch intending it to be believed that Z stole B's watch. This is defamation, unless it falls, within one of the exceptions.

So.. if it is intended to cause it to be believed.. even if no direct reference is made, comes within defamation.

Then there is also limitation thing.. e.g. If you criticize an actor but as far as his acting abilities are concerned in that particular movie, it's okay. But not beyond that. This is to put it very simply.

You can get info in great details when you go through those sections of the IPC. Believe me Jassi this is the reason why many things don't appear in the print.


Sometimes we know the story first hand. Yet we cant relate it or write about it for fear of being slapped for defamation. For example,

I do know from a medical attendant who was working in a very reputed Hospital and who saw what was going on there about two film stars, at the height of their career, who were admitted for veneral disease treatment under fictitious names. (The year related to the late Seventies). But then, how can this be narrated here? Again, the same guy told me how a lady doctor who was a great fan of this filmstar went to see him then in his ward but ran out shrieking, "SHIIIIIIIII" on actual observance.

A pity all this can't be written about - though it's true.

Now thinking about it, Vimmi looked so beautiful... A young life nipped in the bud. How can a Chopra heroine's career evaporate like a "dew in the mountain." I wonder what really went wrong. Was it exploitation? Was it frustration? Was it falling into the wrong hands? Nowadays, even the upcoming models seem so secure excepting a couple of stray tragedies that occurred of course. Who doesn't have faults or weaknesses? But that's not a way to go.

Three cheers for Vimmi!

i edit it..but cant we discuss all this in code way..without mentioning names..

how to delete reeth's reply

I guess that's the way the Film Magazines do it. They drop some kind of a hint. For example, "This actor had recently been to Bangkok....." So if someone is in the know, at once comes to know who the guy is. And so on...

Jassi there are so many tales to tell. If by some chance the Defamation section is done away with just for a day, there would be an avalanche of sleazy info coming our way.

Jassi Ji..Please dont worry. After all ours is democracy and we have freedom of expression...!! Just forget it.
Just think like this, the kind of news being printed everyday ! Nothing to worry..Ruth was just joking.. take it easy.

Dont worry jassi ...i was just pulling your leg....







Think of of the consequences if the codes get mixed up.....




will stay....

i was scared..in fact even thought of deleting my id..whats next reeth..

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yeh titliyan kaun hain..one of them is definately shubha khote or shammi..one is lookin like nirupa roy...but i m sure she is not nirupa..

tch tch I am sorry Jassi......i thought you would realise that i was joking....
Next it is Madame R(any guesses?...




I do recognise , Shammi and Shuba khote and the one on the extreme right is actress poornima is she?
the one who acted with Geeta bali in Jaal?

madame R..it would rekha..

no shammi is not there..

No? How about Begum para????

Rekha - Born October 10, 1954

Rekha is the Mona Lisa of Bollywood. Enigmatic, seductive, and iconic—Rekha, in her four-decade-
old career, has drawn more ‘ohs’ and ‘ahs’ from the audiences than any other actress....
Rekha is arguably the most fascinating figure in Bollywood. In Western film and entertainment
terms it would be impossible to name a modern counterpart. One would have to go back to the
golden age of motion pictures when there was a mythical stature attached to film stars and
look at Garbo, who saw her screen persona as a different entity apart from herself. Rekha is
very much the Garbo of Bollywood. Rekha herself sees her film persona in the third person.....
......Rekha, a mythic being she had come to see as larger than herself. "Nobody can take my
position,not even myself."... "Not even the human being that I am can ever take Rekha's position.
No. That is only for her. She has taken that position for life." Although she views herself as a
deity, Rekha is warm, friendly and talkative.....

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Rekha has cultivated an otherworldly aura of mystery around her persona. She is reclusive like Garbo
and will disappear from the social scene for months only to appear at the most important functions
where she will hold court for a couple of hours, take the best photo opportunities for the fan magazines
and then disappear like an apparition.....
She was the undisputed number one film actress of the 80s and part of the 90s. She wasn't just an
actress though, Rekha was and still is a LEGEND, and it has been a calculated and hard earned effort.

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Rekha was born as Bhanurekha Ganesan, to the doyen of south Indian cinema, Gemini
Ganeshan, and Telghu actress Pushapavalli in 1954. The unfortunate separation of her
parents brought Rekha to Mumbai, with her mother. The ways of nature are strange. A
gloomy, flabby, clumsy looking child of the 60s groomed into the most beautiful Indian actress of 70s
and beyond...

Her first film Sawan Bhadon with Navin Nischol, was released in 1970. Throughout
the early Seventies, she remained an insignificant entity in Bollywood with nothing but moderate success to
her credit.
Regular regimen of exercise, yoga, and meditation brought a sudden and significant change in her
figure, complexion, and beauty. Dulal Guha’s Do Anjaane (1976) and Maneck Chatterjee’s Ghar ,
reaffirmed in no equivocal terms that Rekha was here-to-stay. Call it her will or God’s benevolence-
by 1980, Rekha had become the most sought heroine of Bollywood......

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Much has been made of her "transformation" from (in her own words) "a round ball of flesh"
(where I think she means a mere human) in the 70s into a toned and manicured ultimate fashion and
beauty icon and screen 'star' in the 80s. She practiced yoga and mastered the art of make-up.
She was media smart and kept herself in the top headlines for over a decade. She even attached
herself as the mistress to the greatest film legend of Bollywood history, Amitabh Bachchan.
Rekha finding her style and refining the elements in "Muqaddar Ka Sikandar"(1978). Then
the complete transformation in 1981 with ""Silsila" and "Umrao Jaan". Rekha's was not an
overnight metamorphosis it was a slow arduous journey of discovery that comprised the better part
of Rekha's 20s.

This was the time when, Amitabh-Rekha flicks like Mr. Natwarlal, Muqadar Ka Sikander
(1978), Silsila (1982), Khoon-Paseena carried Houseful banners. And the gossip mill worked
overtime with Amitabh and Rekha’s love tales. But alas, not all fairy tale stories reach their logical
culminations. Soon the two stars were moving in different orbits. But by this time, both, with twenty
films between them, had been catapulted to the super-stardom status....

There was no looking back for Rekha, who kept on mesmerising the ever-hungry Indian audiences,
with one riveting performance after another. The role of courtesan played by her, in Muqadaar
Ka Sikaander and Umraao Jaan (1987) are masterpieces in a genre, which can only be emulated,
but not outdone. In Kamasutra (1996), she again portrayed a seductress, who had spent a
lifetime, gratifying the sexual desires of the royals. In between, she gave legendary performances in
art films like Utsav (1984), Basera (1981) and Ijaazat (1987) too....

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Rekha started by mimicking Mumtaz and Sharmila Tagore in her early films like Elaan and
Duniya Ka Mela (where a certain struggler called Amitabh Bachchan was thrown out
and replaced by the hot-and-happening Sanjay Khan), even in Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Namak Haraam.She blossomed overnight with Dulal Guha’s Do Anjaane and Maneck Chatterjee’s
Ghar. That’s when the 'real' Rekha was born on screen even as the person behind the mask grew
more and more distanced from reality.....

Rekha’s third coming was in Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Khubsoorat where, doing a takeoff on
her favourite actor Amitabh Bachchan, she created a blithe and believable personality. Singing
R D Burman's Kayda kayda (a tune which, incidentally, preempted Kuch na kaho in
1942 - A Love Story), Rekha broke every rule of star power with this heroine-oriented comedy.

Her fourth innings started with Yash Chopra’s Silsila. The film turned her into an icon. ....
Shyam Benegal’s Zubeidaa and Rajkumar Santoshi’s Lajja begins Rekha’s
fifth and most fruitful phase. Which other actress would allow herself to be pushed aside by her
screen souten with such grace? Who would play a Dalit victim of gangrape with such anguished dignity
and strength?



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Her personal favourites among her films are Saawan Bhadon, Do Anjaane, Aalap, Muqaddar Ka
Sikander, Ghar, Silsila, Umrao Jaan, Khoon Bhari Maang, Ijaazat, Phool Bane Angaarey.
When every star worth his or her salt has given in to the lure of doing advertisements and
commercials, Rekha remains the only glamorous celebrity not to have indulged in endorsing
products....
While actresses like Hema Malini, Rati Agnihotri, Raakhee are content playing mothers to the
latest stars, Rekha still continues to do parallel roles opposite today's stars like Raveena Tandon and Karisma Kapoor (Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi and Zubeidaa).
According to Rekha, the roles worth dying for are Madhubala's in Mughal-e-Azam, or
Jessica in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
The versatile actress has been honoured time and again with prestigious awards like Filmfare award
of best actress for Khubsoorat, National Award for film Umrao Jaan, Filmfare
award for best actress for Khoon Bhari Maang, Filmfare award for best supporting actress
for Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi. She was also awarded the UP award for the best kathak dancer in
Hindi films by the King of Kathak, Pandit Lachchu Maharaj.


A child of a disturbed family, she would have least expected her life to be as tumultuous. She was
once wooed by film stars Jeetendra, Vinod Mehra, Kiran Kumar and of course, Amitabh Bachan.
But none could size up to the persona, whom, she could deem as her man.
Her brief marriage to industrialist Mukesh Aggarwal came under lot of speculation after he
committed suicide by hanging himself with Rekha's duppatta. One of the most trying and tough times
in her life...

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Inwardly bruised Rekha leads a detached and a solitary lifestyle in her Mumbai bungalow.
There's something incomparable about Rekha. Even in her state of self-imposed solitude she r
emains uniquely seductive....

Sorry to state that a lot was desired of Rekha. Now, remember, this is only my opinion. This opinion has been formulated on seeing Rekha - on screen of course. Watch her earlier movies and she appears a hairy and fat (though I term that as GADRAYI HUI JAWAANI). The STARDUST film magazine had once published her full page facial photograph, sans makeup, and that sight was not a sight for the sore eyes. Yes, watch her in SAWAN BHADON, or DO ANJAANE among others. Even in her late movies as KAHANI KISMET KI she does appear "heavy." In DO ANKHEN she appears so but in a sexy way: Watch her dance against the Rafi Sahaab song: KAnWAL KE PHOOL JAISA BADAN TERA CHIKNA CHIKNA..... and you will agree with me.

I think it was from 1976 or thereabout, there appears to be a certain change in her style, demeanour, makeup and acting. She looks ravishing in Nagin (Rafi's song: TERA PYAAR KA MUJH PE HUA YEH ASAR HAI). UMRAO JAAN (1981) stamped a seal of her numero one position as the screen goddess and reigning Diva. But her pairing with Amitabh Bachchan saw her sail through Bollywood nicely. She also managed to surive the SILSILA though her image did suffer on account of her rash and unsuccessful marriages. She has the strong character of her deceased father, Gemini Ganesan.

A great Dilip Kumar fan that she is, personally I miss her pairing with Dilip Kumar in the Unreleased AAG KA DARIYA. QILA is best forgotten. It is also said that Rekha can be seen as a a child in Dilip's RAM AUR SHYAM where along with many other children she is shown as dancing Twist to Rafi's AAYEEN HAIN BAHAAREN MITE ZULMO SITAM....I loved her crooning of Rafi's DIN DHAL JAAYE in KUDIYON KA ZAMAANA.

Thanks nasir...
Rekha supposedly had never forgiven her father, for not openly acknowledging his marriage with her
mother pushpavalli...though he tried to make peace with her once she became a star ......

Yes Reeth. It is said that she did not visit or take part even in her father's funeral rites.

I still wonder why Gemini Ganesan did not acknowledge his marriage with Rekha's mother. Remember, Rekha was born in 1954. The Hindu Marriage Act which makes bigamy void and punishable under the sections of IPC came into force in 1955 I think. So he could have easily owned up his alliance with Pushpavalli. One thing is for sure: He never in his faintest dream realised that his child, Rekha, would occupy a topmost slots among the Bollywood heroines.

nobody could guess abt that picture of four actresses...in fact even i have no idea abt these actresses apart from shubha..

coming to rekha..i agree she was chubby when she entered in films,but later become so beautiful..
i m not happy with the kind of films she did recently like bachke rehna baba or meri biwi se bachao..

my top fav performances of her

1.Silsila
2.Basera
3.Umrao Jaan
4.Khoon Bhari Maang
5.Muqadder Ka Sikander
6.Judai
7.Jeevan Dhara
8.Aastha
9.Suhag
10.Jhoothi

i did not like her in khoobsurat..i think it was an overated performance..

His last attempt at ,yet another marriage must have been the final blow...

Rekha and her five sisters.....!
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From left to right: Dr Revathi Swaminathan, Narayani Ganesan, Dr Kamala Selvaraj, Rekha, Vijaya Chamundeswari and Dr Jaya Shreedhar.

The eldest among the six sisters is Dr Revathi Swaminathan, a radiation oncologist practising in Illinois,
USA. Dr Kamala Selvaraj, Gemini Ganesan's second daughter, runs the G G Hospital in Chennai.
Narayani Ganesan is a journalist with The Times Of India in Delhi. The youngest is Dr Jaya Shreedhar,
a health advisor with Inter News Network.

Rekha and Radha are Gemini Ganesan's daughters from actress Pushpavalli, and Vijaya Chamundeswari,
daughter of actress Savithri, is a fitness expert working at the G G Hospital. ...

Now jassi..is that fair? So how do we come to know who the gals are?

To be frank with you i have never really liked her in most of the movies that i have seen...except Umrao jaan and
Silsilaa....

i thought nasir must be knowing

u should watch basera too..it was one of her best performance

The picture was not clear to me. At the outset I could clearly see Purnima. Then Shobha Khote. I wouldn't know the rest. I wonder if one of them is Rehana.

So i was right in guessing , now that nasir confirms it...

Really? I must watch it....

BASERA.. Ah!

I remember this movie for the powerful storyline, sterling performance of Rakhee and the restrained performance of Rekha. This movie came at a time when there used to be a horde of silly and below-average movies. Basera was a whiff of fresh air. The story hinges on an irony: "AAOONGI IK DIN AA JAAOON" teases the 'Saali" - the 'Aadhe Ghar-Waali" Rekha not knowing that she would be fated one day to step into her sister's marital life and bliss.

I don't like to see BASERA only for the reason that unable I'm to watch the moving scene where it dawns on Rakhee, who had been in a mental asylum for 14 years, that her younger sister, Rekha, had of necessity stepped into her shoes at the instance of her father. Even as I write this I shiver. What pluck it must take to sacrifice oneself thus!

agree with u nasir...dont forget poonam,she too played her role very well..i like it more when rakhee came bac