File:Rekha_2023.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Rekhā
Sign in to saveAlso known as Bhanurekha, Bhanurekha Ganesan, Rekhaji, Baby Bhanurekha, Bhanurekha Gemini Ganesan, Re, Madame X, Bollywood Queen
Bhanurekha Ganesan (; born 10 October 1954), better known by her mononymous stage name Rekha, is an Indian actress who appears predominantly in Hindi films. Acknowledged as one of the finest actresses in Indian cinema, she has starred in more than 200 films and is the recipient of several accolades, including one National Film Award and three Filmfare Awards. She has often played strong and complicated female characters, from fictional to literary, in both mainstream and independent films. Though her career has gone through certain periods of decline, Rekha has gained a reputation for reinvent
OverviewAI-generated
Rekhā is an Indian politician, playback singer, musician, and actor born in Chennai on October 10, 1954. She is the daughter of Gemini Ganesan and Pushpavalli, with siblings including Kamala Selvaraj. Her notable works include the films Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Khubsoorat, Silsila, and Kalyug. She has received the National Film Award for Best Actress, the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award, and Filmfare Awards for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress.
Rekhā served as a member of the Rajya Sabha as an independent politician. She is married to Vinod Mehra and resides in Hyderabad. She speaks Tamil and Telugu and follows Hinduism. Her career began in 1958 and 1966. She is an Indian citizen and is recognized for her work in acting.
Synthesized by Vinony from 29 facts across 3 sources: Wikidata, MusicBrainz, TMDb. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.
Film & TV
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Bhanurekha Ganesan (born 10 October 1954), better known by her stage name Rekha, is an Indian actress who appears predominantly in Hindi films. Acknowledged as one of the finest actresses in Indian cinema, she has starred in more than 180 films and is the recipient of several accolades, including one National Film Award and three Filmfare Awards. She has often played strong and complicated female…
Known for
- The Great Indian Kapil Show — Self2024
- Yamla Pagla Deewana: Phir Se — Special Appearance2018
- Rising Star — Self2017
- Shamitabh — Self2015
- Super Nani — Bharti Bhatia (Chunni)2014
- Comedy Nights with Kapil — Self2013
- Sadiyaan: Boundaries Divide... Love Unites — Amrit Kaur2010
- Om Shanti Om — Self2007
- Krrish — Sonia Mehra2006
- Kudiyon Ka hai Zamaana — Mayuri2006
via TMDB
Key facts
- Person.name
- Rekha
- Person.image
- Rekha 2023.jpg
- Person.alt
- Rekha is looking at the camera.
- Person.caption
- Rekha in 2023
- Person.birth_name
- Bhanurekha Ganesan
- Person.birth_place
- Madras, Madras State, India
- Person.education
- Sacred Heart Convent, Chennai
- Person.occupation
- Actress
- Person.years_active
- 1958–present
- Person.works
- Full list
- Person.father
- Gemini Ganesan
- Person.mother
- Pushpavalli
- Person.family
- Ganesan family
- Person.awards
- Full list
- Person.honours
- Padma Shri (2010)
- Person.signature
- Rekha signature.svg
- Officeholder.embed
- yes
- Officeholder.office
- Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- human
- Gender
- female
- Citizenship
- India
- Place of birth
- Chennai
- Spouse
- Vinod Mehra
- Father
- Gemini Ganesan
- Mother
- Pushpavalli
- Sibling
- Kamala Selvaraj
- Occupation
- film actor
- Position held
- member of Rajya Sabha
- Political party
- independent politician
- Languages spoken
- Telugu
- Religion
- Hinduism
- Award
- Padma Shri
- Notable work
- Umrao Jaan
- Image
- Rekha 2023.jpg
- Height
- 174
- Residence
- Hyderabad
Show 7 more facts
- Commons category
- Rekha
- date of birth
- 1954-01-01
- start of work period
- 1958-01-01
- name in native language
- रेखा
- ethnic group
- Indians
- sexual orientation
- heterosexuality
- P10632
- Rekhā
Sources (15)
via Wikidata · CC0
~42 min read
Encyclopedic overview
17 sectionsContents
- Early life and work
- Film career
- Early roles (1968–1970)
- Career fluctuations in the 1970s (1971–1977)
- Turning point, stardom, and parallel cinema (1978–1984)
- Setback and resurgence (1985–1989)
- Career fluctuations and short revival (1990–1999)
- Recognition for character roles (2000–2006)
- Occasional work; hiatus (2007–present)
- Personal life and off-screen work
- Image and artistry
- See also
- Notes
- References
- Bibliography
- Further reading
- External links
Bhanurekha Ganesan (; born 10 October 1954), better known by her mononymous stage name Rekha, is an Indian actress who appears predominantly in Hindi films. Acknowledged as one of the finest actresses in Indian cinema, she has starred in more than 200 films and is the recipient of several accolades, including one National Film Award and three Filmfare Awards. She has often played strong and complicated female characters, from fictional to literary, in both mainstream and independent films. Though her career has gone through certain periods of decline, Rekha has gained a reputation for reinventing herself numerous times and has been credited for her ability to sustain her status. In 2010, the Government of India honoured her with Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian honour.
The daughter of actors Pushpavalli and Gemini Ganesan, Rekha started her career as a child actress in Telugu films Inti Guttu (1958) and Rangula Ratnam (1966). Her first film as a lead happened with the Kannada movie Operation Jackpot Nalli C.I.D 999 (1969). Her Hindi debut with Sawan Bhadon (1970) established her as a rising star, but despite the success of several of her early films, she was often panned in the press for her looks and weight. Motivated by criticism, she started working on her appearance and put effort into improving her acting technique and command of the Hindi language, resulting in a well-publicised transformation. Early recognition in 1978 for her performances in Ghar and Muqaddar Ka Sikandar marked the beginning of the most successful period of her career, and she was one of Hindi cinema's leading stars through most of the 1980s and early 1990s.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Rekhā” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.