Bollywood has weaved many stories of controversial relationships, but the one that is still the most discussed topic is the alleged affair of Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha. Be it keeping a straight face while encountering her in public or the awkwardness when the two come face to face, there are many instances when audiences get glimpses of their complicated situations.
Born as Bhanurekha to renowned actor, Gemini Ganesan and actress, Pushpavalli, Rekha started her career at the age of 13 due to financial constraints at her home. Hailed as the golden girl of the 1970s and 80s, Rekha's life had many ups and downs. Be it her multiple affairs, the untimely death of her husband, Mukesh Agarwal, or the witch hunt that followed later, she had gone through a lot.
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However, Rekha never gave up, and like a phoenix, she rose after every fall. Amid her unlucky tale of love, she met the man whom the world admired and loved, none other than Amitabh Bachchan. Rekha had met Amitabh Bachchan when he was dating Jaya Bhaduri. Jaya and Rekha were neighbours and the trio would often hang out together.
It was during the shooting of Do Anjaane, when Amitabh and Rekha’s alleged affair started while he was already married to Jaya. Soon rumours about the duo spread like wildfire. She not only became the other woman in his life but was also tagged as a homebreaker by many, as it was reported that Rekha was the reason for rifts between Amitabh and Jaya. Soon, Jaya banned Amitabh Bachchan from further sharing the screen space with Rekha.
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Despite being the other woman and never getting the love she deserves, there is always a spark when Amitabh and Rekha are under the same roof. In 2003, Rekha was presented with the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award, and the diva gave an elaborate speech while thanking all the important people who were part of her journey. As she picked the names of her directors, producers, and colleagues, all eyes were glued to her, as people expected her to take Mr. Bachchan’s name.
The camera, too, zoomed in on Mr Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan, who were seated in the front row. While she thanked every single person she worked with, Rekha excluded Mr Bachchan’s name deliberately. Well, though she didn’t mention the most important person’s name in her acceptance speech, the actress was seen getting excited and emotional as she addressed the gathering.
Rekha’s unrequited tale of love is one of the saddest realities of her life. While she weaved stories about her love and admiration for Mr. Bachchan, he only kept denying it. Many pitied the actress for her unfortunate love story, others called her the other woman, but she took everything with a pinch of salt.
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In an explosive throwback interview with Filmfare in 1984, Rekha reacted to Amitabh Bachchan’s denial of their relationship. The actress mentioned that she understood his actions as a way of protecting his image and his concern for his family. In her words:
“Why should he have not done it? He did it to protect his image, to protect his family, to protect his children. I think it is beautiful, I don’t care what the public thinks of it. Why should the public know of my love for him or his love for me? I love him, he loves me – that’s it! I don’t care what anybody thinks.”
In the same interview, Rekha revealed that Mr Bachchan is old-fashioned and would not do anything to hurt the sentiments of his wife, Jaya Bachchan. Elaborating on the same, she said:
“If he’d reacted that way towards me in private, I would have been very disappointed. But has he ever done that? I ask you. So why should I care about what he’s said in public? I know people must be saying bechari Rekha, pagal hai us par, phir bhi dekho. Maybe I deserve that pity. Not that he has 10 rollicking affairs! Mr Bachchan is still old-fashioned. He doesn’t want to hurt anybody, so why hurt his wife?”
Despite being the other woman in the relationship, Rekha’s unrequited love for Mr Bachchan never faded, and her eyes still lit up at the mere mention of him.
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