‘At one time, I felt being a mother was the ultimate experience, a woman was not complete without it.’
‘Now I feel it’s not the be all and end all.’
‘Motherhood is a part of a jigsaw puzzle; life is the real big picture.’

IMAGE: Rekha in Super Nani.

Even a few days before her 70th birthday, Rekha continues to entertain and enthrall her fans.

We celebrate the diva in a week-long special, leading up to her landmark birthday on October 10, and begin with an interview she had given way back in 1994.

Excerpts from an interview Rekha to Dinesh Raheja, then editor of Movie magazine, “Unfortunately for me, I got no great roles (or let’s say fortunately because it has taught me a lot). And no great directors so to speak of. I didn’t get hit songs like Mumtaz or the other girls did.”

You’ve been in the film industry for 25 years. It’s quite an achievement.

I feel very grateful to God. I believed that an actress lasting for 25 years happened only in Hollywood.

Here, an actress could last five to seven years at the most. Jo mila woh ganeemat samjho, aur Ram Ram bol ke aage niklo ya shaadi kar lo.

I didn’t know I would be here for 25 years.

I wanted to get married and settle down, but God had something else in store for me.

You wanted to have children?

Oh yes. I wanted to have children and give up this line for five years.

I wanted to come back and get into direction.

If I had got pregnant, I’d have had to. But it was not meant to be.

You can’t keep fighting with destiny all the time.

IMAGE: Rekha in Umrao Jaan.

Do you miss the experience of motherhood?

At one time, I felt being a mother was the ultimate experience, a woman was not complete without it.

Now I feel it’s not the be all and end all.

Motherhood is a part of a jigsaw puzzle; life is the real big picture.

How do you review your career?

Unfortunately for me, I got no great roles (or let’s say fortunately because it has taught me a lot). And no great directors so to speak of.

I didn’t get hit songs like Mumtaz or the other girls did.

Today, just when I feel that I’m beginning to register what acting is all about and I know who I am, I’m going to be 40 in October.

God! Now it’s a greater challenge for me.

IMAGE: Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha in Silsila.

Which of your films are you happy to have done?

I can pick up moments like the ‘I hate you’ scene I did for Silsila.

It was such an intense scene and there were 15,000 people on the location at five in the morning.

I had major lines to speak, crying et al. I asked Yashji (Chopra, Director) for time, but he said no.

Then Amitji related an incident.

He said, James Dean in a film called Giant faced a similar dilemma.

He just turned around and did Number 1 (urinated) in front of the crowd. That made him feel on top of the world.

James Dean thought to himself, ‘Isse bura kya ho sakta hai? ‘and gave a perfect shot.

I said to Amitji, ‘Excuse me, that really makes me feel better.’

He said, ‘I don’t mean it literally, but you know what I mean, come on. This is acting.’

Start, camera, action sunte hi sab chup ho gaye. End mein when I hugged Amitji, toh sab bole, ‘Ooooh’.

I had a hard time trying to control my expression.

One sees shades of Amitabh Bachchan in some of your performances.

I don’t deny that. When a critic pointed out that I had copied him in Madam X, I agreed.

Look, when we started working together, we were at a very impressionable stage.

Each one left his or her impression on the other.

If you saw a crowd in those days from a top angle, you just saw a whole sea of heads with the Amitabh hairstyle.

I worked with him in 10 films at an early stage of my career, spanning over so many years. How can I not be influenced?

The biggest compliment you could’ve paid Amitabh is to say he influenced you. What is the biggest compliment he has ever paid you?

I think the only compliment he has knowingly or unknowingly paid me was that he gave me an opportunity to work with a great co-star like him.

That is the biggest compliment I have ever received.