Magic continues: The engimatic Rekha turns 54 and is still mesmerising filmgoers and the industry too with her pout and expressive eyes.
Floral presence: Director Pradeep Sarkar, who cast her for a song in his film Parineeta, describes her as a perfect blend of beauty and glamour.
Style diva: Daughter of renowned Tamil actor Gemini Ganesan and Telugu actress Pushpavalli, Rekha was born in Chennai . She was called Bhanurekha Ganesan.
O my my!: At a time when a new Bollywood star seems to be born every Friday, Rekha's admirers bridge the generation gap.
Me reading: Rekha gave memorable performances in Ghar, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Khubsoorat, Silsila, Vijeta, Utsav, Khoon Bhari Maang, Zubeida, Bhoot and Krrish.
True blue: Directors say she is the perfect blend of beauty, glamour and talent.
Kala jadoo: The money crunch in the family forced her to do films. In 1966, when she was only 12, she started her career as a child artiste in a Telugu film Rangula Ratnam. She went on to act in more than 180 films in a career spanning 42 years.
How she was: Her first Hindi film was Sawan Bhadon where she was paired with Navin Nischol. But, because of her inability to speak Hindi and being overweight, audiences rejected her.
Classic beauty: Gradually she carved a niche for herself with films like Kahani Kismat Ki, Namak Haram, Raampur Ka Lakshman. But it was Muqaddar Ka Sikander with Amitabh Bachchan that made her a household name.
Real Umraao Jaan: Rekha, who was the Bollywood sex symbol for long, won the National Award for her role as a courtesan in Umraao Jaan.
