5 unknown facts about Rekha who turns a year older on October 10

Bollywood's evergreen beauty, Rekha turns a year older today. On her Birthday we bring you some unknown facts about her:

1. Rekha is one of the best mimics in the world. In fact much of her acting is based on what she observed, learnt, imbibed and regurgitated from other actors most notably Amitabh Bachchan whom she used to observe keenly at his craft. In Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Khubsoorat for which she won multiple awards she did nothing but a male version of Amitabh Bachchan.

2. Rekha prides herself on being an accomplished singer. She sang Kayda kayda in Khubsoorat for herself. Then she sang Ehsaas ka sauda hai for the great composer Khayyam in Ek Naya Rishta which though filmed on her, was used as a background song. Finally she sang a cover version of the great Mohd Rafi’s Din dhal jaye from the film Guide . She crooned this S D Burman ghazal for an awful long-forgotten film Kudiyon Ka Zamana.

3. Rekha is a huge Lata Mangeshkar fan known to stand below the Melody Goddess’ home on Peddar Road whistling and singing Happy Birthday. In an old interview with this writer Rekha had insisted that Lataji was her child and she was the mother. Lataji is yet to understand where this filial affection came from.

4. Rekha has done 7 films with Amitabh Bachchan beginning with Do Anjaane in 1976. Their last collaboration was Silsila in 1981. Rekha once told me that every moment spent with Mr B on camera was a learning experience. So why did they stop working together? Maybe it was not such a learning experience for him.

5. Rekha has played every role possible, the one of the Other Woman/Tawaif being her favourite. She played this role in movies as far-ranging as Umrao Jaan,Maati Maange Khoon,Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Deedar-e-Yaar and Ghungroo Ki Awaaz. I once asked her about her dream role. She said she wanted to play her mother Pushapavali Ganesan, second-wife to actor Gemini Ganesan.