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Born Aug 25 , 1954
Daughter of Gemini Ganesan and Pushpavalli born in 1954. She was obese and plump in her first films in the early 70s but underwent a spectacular transformation and became the ageless icon of beauty and glamour of Bollywood. The classic Ice Queen that she is, you can love her or hate her... but you just can't ignore her.
Call it the ungainly-duckling-turned-into-a-svelte-swan syndrome .... she is non other than Gemini Ganeshan's daughter Rekha. Both of her parents were stars hence studio was her playground, they were the virtual extension of her school. Rekha started acting at the age of Thirteen. It was a scary world but she learnt hindi in three months and dancing in one month. Her first film was Sawan Bhadon in 1970. She underwent amazing metamorphosis in early 1980s transforming from a plump, darkish, also-ran sort of leading lady to an athletic sexy looking damsel. This overnight transformation boosted her stature in the Bollywood so much so that she reigned as #1 for almost a decade! The transformation was so complete that it did not only change her appearance but also seemed to have enhanced her acting capabilities. It wasn't until the onslaught from the South (Sridevi, Jaya Prada) or the newcomers (Madhuri Dixit) that her presence started to diminish somewhat. Her most memorable film is Umraoo Jaan in which she played the role of a court dancer with such charm and captivated the audience with her mastery of classical dances. She acted in over 20 films with the then reigning superstar AMITABH BACHCHAN with whom her reported love Affair culminated in Yash Chopra's art-imitating-life movie SILSILA. Her other memorable films include Khoobsoorat, Ghar, Jhoothi, Mr Natwarlal, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Do Anjane, Khoon Bhari Maang, Agar Tum Na Hote, Aastha, Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi.
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