Aishwarya Rai appears on the Tyra Banks show: TBT to 2009

 Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, 36,  appears on the Tyra Banks show: TBT to 2009!

The perfection of Rekha in Silsila

 

 

Released on the summer of 1981, 14 August to be precise, Rekha, then 26, was at the absolute peak of her prowess and peacock-ian beauty when the affairs-of-the-heart, musical melodrama Silsila released.

Empowered by fellow aesthete producer/director Yash Chopra, with the camera work of Kay Gee capturing Rekha in all her polished glory, no leading lady commanded screen space with such ease and elegance. Not a strand of hair out of place, her impeccable fashion (which deteriorated dramatically by the time Khoon Bhari Maang and Geetanjali released!), has to be studied as one does an unholy book of haute Hindi film fashion. 

Rekha when reigned in by writers and directors she admired -- Yash Chopra, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Gulzar -- didn't go completely off the rails. Lesser men who didn't have the courage to edit Re' fell folly to her over-the-top sartorial shenanigans. Yash Chopra had a more deft hand; be it Silsila or Faasle, Rekha looked polished, refined... just damn near perfect.

Rekha with Yash Chopra on the sets of Faasla - a rare pic 

Aishwarya Rai's iconic pose for Taal

 

The first time India took note of Aishwarya Rai: The Famous Pepsi ad, "Hi, I'm Sanju!"

Who's that girl? 

Aishwarya Rai's ad for Pepsi... when all of India took note of this young model - who became a sensation overnight. 

Ad featuerd Aamir Khan, Mahima... but all we remember is the stunning Ash 

Akshay Kumar and Aishwarya Rai in Khakee

 

One of their best films together, Khakee was a thriller with just the right amount of twists and turns, Rajkumar Santoshi is an underrated film maker. 

Khakee is remembered more fondly for its quality and cast than its box office numbers. It performed decently but was somewhat overshadowed in a competitive year - 2004.

Aishwarya Rai in her Tamil film Kandukondain Kandukondain

 Till date, easily one of her best films, performances, music... 

Aishwarya Rai in the amazing Kandukondain Kandukondain

Aishwarya Rai in Hum Dil de Chuke Sanam: Exquisite

Aishwarya Rai in Hum Dil de Chuke Sanam: Exquisite, carved in stone face of an Indian icon
 

50 Heroines: Filmfare cover: Rekha dominates the 1980s

 50 Heroines: Filmfare cover: Rekha dominates the 1980s

Rekha: Filmfare's Most Frequent Cover Girl

Not sure Filmfare itself has an archive of all her covers. 

Though the tubby sycophant in chief Jitesh Pillai is a Rekha fan, his playlist of the same images, films, features on Rekha are now mostly yawn-inducing. 

The Filmfare arhcive needs to be injected with some serious cash - and then uploaded online as a treasure trove of images and inforamtion on Hindi cinema. As all the Vogue issues have been digitally uploaded, Filmfare team needs to do the same. Trouble is, as the glossy print magazine is a dying media, no one wants to throw money at a mdedium that's circling the drain. But this is not long term thinking. 

Filmfare needs a tech bro to inject some cash into it, and recognise that Indian cinema history is worth archiving. 

Bollywood's favourite celebrity photographer: Rakesh Shreshta

The only reason I know of Rakesh Shrestha is because of magazine credits in the late 1980s and early 90s of Bollywood based film magazines-- somehow, all my favourite images (particularly those of Sridevi, Manisha Koirala, on occasion Rekha) were by this mysterious man who seemed to have access, a deep friendship with ALL the tops stars of their time. Very little is known about him publicly... which might be his wish, but we wanted to secure his status as one of the greats that percolated Mumbai film industry and the juggernaut that is Bollywood.  

So here's a mini dive. The once prominent Indian still photographer is best known for his extensive work in Bollywood, where he captured publicity stills and special photography for over 600 films, making him a prominent part of not just film journalism, but films itself.

Born on October 5, 1956, in Bombay (now Mumbai) to a family of Nepali origin, he was raised in the city which would be synonymous with the film capital of the world. A commerce graduate, he initially worked in a colour lab handling accounts before transitioning to photography. Without formal training or assisting others, he started in the early 1980s with a modest camera, initially doing urgent passport photos and building confidence through persistence and self-taught skills.

His breakthrough came after persistently approaching actress Neetu Singh on film sets, eventually shooting her for a magazine cover that launched his career. This led to long-term collaborations with major stars, including Rekha (with whom he worked extensively starting around 1981 and praised for her professionalism, creativity, and technical knowledge of lighting/makeup), Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (whom he called one of the most beautiful actresses he photographed), Sridevi, Jackie Shroff, Sanjay Dutt, and many others.

Notable film credits include still photography for Chandni (1989), Lamhe (1991), 1942: A Love Story (1994), Vaastav: The Reality (1999), and others, often for major productions like Yash Raj Films.

He built a successful career through charm, persistence, and creating comfortable environments for stars. After the death of his first wife, Jean, in 2009, he significantly slowed down and largely stepped back from active work to support his son Rohan Shrestha’s photography career (avoiding competition for assignments) and focus on family. He has a second son, Rihaan, from his later marriage.

Shrestha is remembered as a self-made industry veteran who documented key eras of Hindi cinema through his lens. 

In the west, most photographers recap their portfolio in mighty coffee table books and so far, Shreshta has resisted the temptation to publish his incredible work over the past 40 years. One imagines the sheer volume of negatives and series of images of stars to be monumental, a herculean task awaits. We all live in hope he'll publish a book that's not only a retrospective of his personal musings and muses, but an archive of some of the greatest stars that came and went in the transient space that is Bollywood. Stars shine and fade, supernovas are forever-- Rakesh Shreshta in capturing many celebrities is at risk of being one himself.