Cine Blitz: Rekha

 Rekha rockin' yet another Cine Blitz cover... 

Profile of Rekha: Cover shot of MOVIE

Rekha in an off-shoulder white dress

 This looks like Re' in the early 1980s. 

Rekha: 90s glamour

 

Purple Reign of Rekha

the ultra glam Rekha from the early 90s

Purple power! 

Rekha

 

For Rekha, this is minimalism... 

Rekha and Amitabh Bachchan in the biggest hit of 1978: Muqaddar Ka Sikandar

 

Released on 27 October 1978, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar is a favourite of many - particularly the soulful soundtrack and Rekha's brief but brilliant performance as the self-sacrificing courtesan with a heart of gold... 

Directed and produced by Prakash Mehra, the film emerged as the highest-grossing Hindi release of 1978 and the second highest-grossing film of the entire decade, earning all-time blockbuster status. 

At the time of release, lead star Amitabh Bachchan was 36 years old. His core co-stars were at distinct career stages: Rekha was 24, Vinod Khanna was 32, and Raakhee was 31.The year 1978 marked an unprecedented peak in Amitabh Bachchan's superstardom. He headlined six major theatrical releases, astonishingly securing five commercial successes: Trishul, Don, Kasme Vaade, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, and Ganga Ki Saugandh, with only Besharam seeing modest returns. 

Rekha enjoyed an equally stellar year with six major releases, including Ghar, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Karmayogi, Aakhri Daku, Ram Kasam, and Bhola Bhala. The year solidified her critical standing and box office power, anchored by the runaway success of Muqaddar Ka Sikandar and her critically acclaimed performance in Ghar. 

Celebrated choreographer Kamal Master crafted the iconic dance sequences, most notably the immortal Salam-e-Ishq Meri Jaan. Rekha’s opulent courtesan attire was designed by legendary costume designer Bhanu Athaiya. 

Despite sweeping the nation's pop culture and receiving nine nominations at the 26th Filmfare Awards- including Best Film, Best Director for Mehra, Best Actor for Bachchan, and Best Supporting Actress for Rekha - the film notoriously won zero awards on the night, losing out to rivals like Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki. Rekha similarly went empty-handed for the film, though she earned a Best Actress nomination for Ghar that same year. 

Still, its enduring legacy remains untarnished by awards tally omission.

Rekha: Maximalism in the 1980s

Even the leaves were painted gold.. 

One of many epic Rekha glamour shoots from the 1980s 

Rekha: Ravishing Re'

Rekha and her epic photoshoots. 

 

Rekha

Our last week of Rekha - this entire month has been dedicated to the actress and her most memorable shoots. Esp from the 1980s. 

She defined glamour and the success of excess.... Queen of maximalism. It wasn't always to everyone's taste but damn, she made it work.