Rekha: Star & Style

We are celebrating Rekha this month. The iconic Indian actress and legendary beauty turns 72 on October 10. 

This cover shoot in jeans and a singlet, young, sexy Rekha was rockin' her 20s. 

Here's a throwback cover shoot she did for now-defunct Indian film magazine, Star & Style. 

Soon after winning the National Award for Umrajo Jaan - you can see trolling is not new to Indian film media - even back then people were asking did another actress deserve the award more. 

Well, Rekha, her film, the music, everything about the original Umrao Jaan has indeed stood the test of time. Not only did she and the film deserve the accolades and recognition, it deserved more. 

BTW young Rekha - she was in her early 20s when she won, point blank stated, "I don't know if I deserve to win or not, but now that I've gotten it, main wapas nahin doongi [I'm not going to return the award!]. 

Hell yeah! 

Every day this month, we are dedicated to Rekha's striking magazine covers and cover shoots. 

When bad wigs happen to good actresses

Famed character actress Shashikala in a bad wig, lenses for the cover of the now defunct Star & Style magazine.

Continuing the tradition of bad wigs in Bollywood - as posted earlier here with Madhuri, Urmila and Manisha in bad wigs. 

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.

New Breed of Singing Stars: No Qualifications Required

 

New Breed of Singing Stars: No Qualifications Required!

This vintage Star & Style cover is such a tell all edition. 

Even back then, stars were singing badly on film. Its imperative that stars NOT be surrounded by yes-men. There are a handful of 'em who can sing ok... but are no patch on the professionals and the trained singers - who need the job, remuneration and career. 

The Rekha - Amirabh Bachchan scandal - gosh, have we really been talking about it now for 46 years?!