Aishwarya Rai attends Neeta Lulla's store opening

Aishwarya Rai attends Neeta Lulla's store opening

 

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.