VOLUME TWO • '89 • A QUARTERLY
Rs. 35
REKHA IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY!
MADHURI'S OFF THE CUFF!
MAMMOTH POSTERS
AMITABH IN LIFESTYLES OF THE RICH AND FAMOUS!
Saturday, 10 October 2026
Friday, 9 October 2026
Rekha: Filmfare's most frequent Cover Girl
When Filmfare hit newsstands on March 7, 1952, under The Times Group, it revolutionized Indian pop culture. Founded by Sahu Shanti Prasad Jain and Rama Jain, the magazine elevated Hindi cinema from mere popular entertainment into a celebrated cultural movement, offering fans an unprecedented window into the lives of Bollywood’s visual icons.
Few stars captured that glossy magic quite like Rekha.
Over a career spanning more than four decades, Rekha graced the cover of Filmfare an estimated 25 to 35 times. From her emergence as a box-office force in the late 1970s through her reign in the 1980s and 1990s, her photoshoots became legendary. Whether posing solo in striking traditional attire or alongside co-stars like Amitabh Bachchan and Vinod Khanna, each issue featuring Rekha promised glamour, mystery, and effortless style.
While she ranks among the most frequent cover subjects in the publication’s 70-plus-year archive, is she historically the single most-featured star?
Not quite. That title belongs to long-reigning male superstars like Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan, whose continuous stardom earned them decades of recurring features. Even among leading ladies, Rekha shares the top tier with icons like Sridevi, Madhuri Dixit, and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, all of whom dominated the covers during their respective golden eras.
Yet, raw numbers only tell part of the story. What sets Rekha apart is impact. Her Filmfare covers were never just promotional stills—they were cultural moments that tracked her remarkable personal and stylistic evolution. She transformed the art of the Bollywood photoshoot, leaving an indelible mark on Indian fashion and print media that few have ever matched.
Today, as Rekha rounds the sun one more time, just realised, Filmfare is older than Rekha!
Filmfare was launched on March 7, 1952.
Rekha (born Bhanurekha Ganesan) was born on October 10, 1954.
That makes the iconic magazine about 2 and a half years older than the diva who would go on to grace its cover dozens of times!
MOVIE magazine: Rekha in high glam of the 1980s in Bollywood
Diwali Special MOVIE It gives you the complete picture!
November 1988
Rs. 7.00
The cover tags;
'Qayamat' with Aamir Khan
Sanjay Khan: "Sonam has no brains!"
'Golmaal' on the sets of Farishtey
Wedding bells for Mandakini?
Kimi: "My life is an open book."
REKHA: The Survivor!
Rekha's Filmfare cover when she turned 30
Rekha's Filmfare cover when she turned 30
The misogyny of it all...
Thursday, 8 October 2026
Rekha shines on the cover of Cine Blitz
In December 1974, a fresh wave of audacity hit Indian newsstands. Launched by legendary publisher Russi Karanjia under Rifa Publications—the team behind the fiery political weekly Blitz—Cine Blitz burst onto the scene with Zeenat Aman on its debut cover. It was designed to be bolder, louder, and infinitely more glamorous than anything film journalism had seen before, setting a new standard for Indian entertainment media.
If Filmfare was the establishment, Cine Blitz was the provocateur. And no star embodied that edgy glamour quite like Rekha.
Gracing the cover over a dozen times across three decades, Rekha used Cine Blitz as a canvas for her boldest transformations. Her covers were rarely mere promotional shots; they were jaw-dropping pop-culture events. Most famous among them was the iconic 1996 cover shot by Gautam Rajadhyaksha, which featured Rekha and Kajol playfully sharing a single oversized white turtleneck sweater. From gothic, high-fashion shoots to headline-grabbing, unfiltered interviews, Rekha and Cine Blitz shared a symbiotic relationship built on high drama and unmatched style.
Behind the magazine’s meteoric rise was founder Russi Karanjia's daughter, Rita Mehta. Serving as Editor-in-Chief from its inception until 2006, Mehta redefined celebrity journalism with sensational publicity stunts, exclusive scoops, and striking photography. Later, veteran editors like Nishi Prem (who steered the publication post-2006) and Nichola Pais carried the torch, preserving its reputation for sharp entertainment writing.
As the media landscape evolved, so did the publication. After forty years of dominating newsstands, the physical print edition quietly wound down around 2018–2019 amidst shifting reader habits. But the legacy didn't die there: in May 2020, Cine Blitz officially transitioned into an exclusive digital portal—ensuring its legacy of star-studded storytelling lives on in the modern era.
Wednesday, 7 October 2026
Rekha
Rekha on the cover of Filmworld, Star, Star & Style magazines - shame the publications have shut shop - but Rekha is still going strong.
Rekha poses for Filmfare
Easily one of Rekha's finest photoshoots. The iamge of her mother in the background just the chef's kiss touch to this gorgeous series.
And that makeup perfection of Re'....
Damn
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