Aishwarya Rai in TIME magazine

 

Rekha: Iconic moments in her colourful life... but in black and white!

 

Rekha with Amitabh Bachchan 

Rekha as a leading lady at age 13! 

Rekha with her sisters and father, famed Gemini Ganesan 

Mekesh and Rekha
The ill-fated marriage from hell... 

38 years of Star & Style: Bollywood tabloid

For its time, these were some of the most controversial film magazine covers in India - the controversial Star & Style magazine that emerged from Mumbai in the 1950s - and ended abruptly. So many rare photos and interviews of iconic Indian stars, lost to the ages... 

Star and Style was launched in 1951 by media executive J.C. Jain and published under the Eve’s Weekly Group (Somani Group).

The magazine existed for nearly 40 years, running continuously from 1951 until 1989, when it ceased publication along with its sister outlet, Eve's Weekly.

Key Milestones & History

Period	Milestone
1951	Launch: Established as a biweekly film and lifestyle publication to compete directly with Filmfare.
1966–1989	The Golden Era: Edited by legendary journalist Gulshan Ewing. During this era, star columnist Devyani Chaubal penned the famous "Frankly Speaking" gossip column, making the magazine a household name across Bollywood.
1989	Closure: Ceased operation as part of the total shutdown of the Eve’s Weekly publishing group due to shifts in film journalism and market competition.

eeeeeee

Because Star and Style operated as a fortnightly (biweekly) magazine for the majority of its 38-year run, an estimated 900 to 1,000 individual issues were published over its existence.

Most Controversial Issues & Stories

Rather than a single isolated issue, the magazine's most scandalous runs were tied to star columnist Devyani Chaubal ("Devi"):

• The Dharmendra & Hema Malini Exposé: One of the most infamous moments occurred when Devyani Chaubal exposed the secret romance and private marriage arrangements between Dharmendra and Hema Malini. The coverage provoked an intense response in the industry; an outraged Dharmendra notoriously confronted journalists and chased Chaubal through a outdoor venue.

• The Rajesh Khanna Health & Retirement Claims: Star and Style printed sensational claims about superstar Rajesh Khanna, including cover stories claiming he was retiring at the absolute height of his career, as well as premature claims regarding his health.

• Rekha’s Unfiltered Interviews: In the late 1970s, Rekha gave candid interviews to Star and Style detailing her personal relationship with Vinod Mehra, generating significant gossip across film publications.

Most Popular Era

The magazine's peak popularity occurred during the 1970s through early 1980s, under the editorship of Gulshan Ewing. Driven by the rise of Hindi cinema’s first superstar (Rajesh Khanna) and the subsequent era of Amitabh Bachchan, Star and Style established itself as one of the top two film periodicals in India alongside Filmfare.

Who Was Featured on the Cover the Most?

While official publisher tallies were never archived, historical magazine distribution logs and retrospective collections show two stars tied for the highest frequency of covers:

1. Rajesh Khanna: As Devyani Chaubal’s primary subject and a dominant box-office draw during the late 60s and 70s, Khanna appeared on more Star and Style covers during that decade than any other actor.

2. Rekha & Sridevi: Among actresses, Rekha dominated the magazine's covers through the 1970s and 80s, followed closely by Sridevi, who became the magazine's premier cover subject throughout the mid-to-late 1980s leading up to the publication's final issues in 1989.

Aishwarya Rai in her Miss World red gown: of crown and glory

Aishwarya Rai on stage - the crown and glory of Miss World.

Below, Rai, preparing and at fittings. 

Back when she had a sense of humour, someone asked her what her beauty secret was and she joked on camera, "Makeup!". 

You can find the clip online. But really, Ash just had the most chiseled features. 

Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai with Aradhya: The family

 

Rekha and the Joan Collins ref

 

You have NO idea how huge Dynasty was - and the power and inufluence of the glamazon that is Joan Collins. As we go down a rabbithole of pinterest iamges from the 1980s, the influence Joan had on Indian fashion and makeup icon Rekha is so obvious... 

Rekha and... Sanjay Dutt?!

 

This headline has been floating around for years... the alleged affair between Rekha and Sanjay Dutt. 

Rekha is 4 years, 9 months, and 19 days older than Sanjay Dutt (an exact difference of 1,753 days, or approximately 4.8 years). 

Currently; 

Rekha: Born October 10, 1954 (Age: 71) 

Sanjay Dutt: Born July 29, 1959 (Age: 67)

Put them next to each other today, and Rekha probably looks younger now tbh. 

This headline has such a sense of deja vu - as Raveena Tandon threw a similar quote and headline in Filmfare in the 90s about Rekha sending 'ghar ka khana' to Akshay Kumar while all three were working on the film Sabse Bada Khiladi... Rekha is 12 years, 10 months, and 30 days older than Akshay Kumar (an exact difference of 12.9 years - nearly 13). 

 

Ah Re'... 

Remembering Gautam Rajadhyaksha on his birth anniversary: The Master of Ethereal Frames

Remembering Gautam Rajadhyaksha today on his 76th birth anniversary. I had the pleasure of chatting with him several times over the years - courtesy of his cousin, the glamorous and fabulous Shobhaa De.  

He passed away so suddenly and so shockingly on 13 September 2011... still reeling in shock from the news as we were supposed to meet in December for a long one-on-one chat. 

For the new and uninitiationed, Gautam da was Indian cinema’s definitive lensman, famed for capturing the soul behind the glamour. He passed away from a heart attack at the age of 60, just three days shy of his 61st birthday. So sudden, the family was jolted in shock and in the funereal several of Bollywood's top stars, particularly the leading ladies, all turned up en mass to bid him farewell. 

He published two books;

Faces (1997): His landmark coffee-table book tracing generations of screen icons, spanning from legendary pioneer Durga Khote to then-new entrant Aishwarya Rai. Rai made her debut in film that year in 1997 after a historic Miss World win. She credited Gautam (and MUA Mickey Contractor) on Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai later said for the record, "I was nothing, they made me into something..." and hugged Mickey and Gautam - who famously worked together almost exclusively in a magical combo of photographer and makeup artists/stylist. 

Chehere (2010): Written in Marathi, this comprehensive photographic and literary compilation featured over 65-70 portraits of personalities across cinema, classical music, sports, and industry, paired with his intimate personal essays.

Rajadhyaksha’s trademark was soft, natural lighting that accentuated the classic bone structure of his subjects. His most iconic portraits include:

Sridevi: Capturing both her intense, expressive gaze and her rare candid moments off-camera.

Rekha: Defining her timeless aesthetic and transforming her into a visual muse.

Madhuri Dixit & Aishwarya Rai: Formatting their definitive early-career glamour portfolios.

Cultural Icons: Ethereal portraits of Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Ustad Zakir Hussain, Sachin Tenduklar and J.R.D. Tata.... too many to list in fact. 

Stars adored Rajadhyaksha because he built deep trust before he ever clicked a shutter. He created a disarming, comforting atmosphere on set, using soft lighting to make actors feel secure and look their absolute best. He stripped away rigid posing, allowing their genuine warmth and personality to shine through. There were key signatures to his work; soft lighting, minimal background noise, clean frames, uncluttered frames, muted colours, few accessories - if any! The simplest of clothes (not that he couldn't do high fashion, but he preferred a white shirt/kurta over a festival of colours) and letting the star shine... which they did. Just for him. 

What made Rajadhyaksha truly beyond compare was his rare duality as both a visual artist and an articulate writer-interviewer. Having worked extensively in advertising and media (regularly shooting and interviewing subjects for Celebrity, Stardust, and Cine Blitz, as well as scripting Hindi films like Bekhudi and Anjaam), he possessed a deep literary sensibility. Today, India, if not all of Asia, lacks a contemporary who seamlessly unifies these talents- someone who can conduct an insightful interview, write with nuance, and photograph with unmatched painterly elegance.

Gone too soon is such a tired expression and Gautam da hated cliches... but, its the only phrase that lingers in the mind today. 

Happy Birthday - wherever you are. 

Mother! Rekha stuns.

 

Aishwarya Rai in Dhai Akshar Prem Ke

Aishwarya Rai in Dil ka Rishta

Aishwarya Rai was 28 when she shot the film, famous beyond belief and Bollywood. The film was turbo charged throw the power of her star wattage... 

But the movie was not... great. In fact, it wasn't even good. And yet, many Rai fans have seen it often as she looks so dman good in every frame. 

Adding to the list of movies of crap films but looking good, Mistress of Spices, Umrao Jaan, Dil Ka Rishta, Hum Kisise kam nahin.... 

oyve.

Among the coalmine of her career, Aishwarya Rai has a few gems. She opted out of great films for mediocre movies... more on that later. 

Aishwarya Rai as a young model

One of the few things I've 100 ercent agreed with Jit Pit; Aishwarya Rai, "She's sooooooooo beautiful..."

 

Saroj Khan with Aishwarya Rai on set

 

Aa Ab Laut Chale wasn't a great film, but Aishwarya Rai looks soooo pretty in it. 

Subhash Ghai recently revealed that Saroj Khan recommended Aishwarya Rai for the film Taal. Aishwarya Rai's career and trajectory changed after that film... 

Showtime: FEBRUARY 01-15, 1998: Aishwarya Rai rejects Sooraj Barjatya

PHOTOGRAPH: ASHOK SALIAN 

MAKE-UP, HAIR AND CREATIVE STYLING: MICKEY CONTRACTOR 

OUTFIT: ANNA SINGH - THE DESIGN STUDIO

Before her hits, her second year in Bollywood, despite a series of flops, Aishwarya Rai was gracing cover after cover - as she sold magazines like no one else. Her success was inevitable - her roster of producers and directors wer second to none - and oh my she made the industry gilrs insecure. 

And, the power she had to reject Sooraj Barjatya... which sounds like a scandalous headline, but it wasn't. Her dates and diary was full - and btw, wow, she dodged a bullet. Kareena Kapoor went on to do the film - the infamous Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon. Which was not only the worst film in the director's career, but the biggest flop of the year, if not decade. 

The cover features the following text:

• Top Header: IS THE A.R. RAHMAN MAGIC FADING AWAY?

• Magazine Title: SHOWTIME

• Publication Details:

  • A MAGNA PUBLICATION

  • FEBRUARY 01-15, 1998

  • RS. 15

• Cover Headlines (Left Side):

  • ART ATTACK! HOW PARALLEL CINEMA HAS BECOME THE INDUSTRY'S NEW PASSION!

  • VOLTE-FACE: WHY AISHWARYA RAI REJECTED SOORAJ BARJATYA!

  • DEADLY! THE SUNIL-KARISMA WAR RAGES ON!

  • DUMPED! ADITYA'S CLASH WITH A TOP DIRECTOR!

Rekha in and as Umrao Jaan

 

Golden gal: Rekha: Burning amber

 Rekha brought high glamour to fashion shoots in film magazines. 

Aishwarya Rai in Dil ka Rishta

A dreadful film... that many Aishwarya Rai fans have seen several times as she looks so staggeringly beautiful in it. 

Ash in Dil ka Rishta. 

Young Aishwarya Rai as a model for Ritu Beri

The staggering beauty of young Aishwayra Rai in the 90s in Mumbai as the top model of her, if not all, time.  

Vinod Khanna, Shobhaa De and Rekha: The rockin 1970s

 

She was an occasional model and Stardust's most famous editor, the De-vine Shobhaa De. 

Seen here with stars Rekha and Vinod Khanna - but doesn't she look better than both?! 

The perfection and perfect symmetry of Aishwarya Rai's iconic face

 

Dazzling photos of Aishwarya Rai at Cannes over the years

Aishwarya Rai serving face at Cannes is nothing new... But when you line up the photos, good gravy, she was stunning.