- Age
- 72 yrs
- Birthday in 347 days
- Works listed
- 6
- Film
- Honours
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- Most recent 2010
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Rekha is a Hindi film actress whose career spans more than 180 films. Known for her reinvention from a teenage star into a style icon, she won the National Film Award for Best Actress for her role as a poet-courtesan in Umrao Jaan (1981).
Biography
Early life
Rekha is the daughter of Tamil film star Gemini Ganesan and Telugu actress Pushpavalli. She began acting as a child in Telugu films and, aged about fifteen, moved to Bombay to work in Hindi cinema, starting with Sawan Bhadon (1970).
Reinvention
Initially mocked for her looks and poor Hindi, she transformed her image through the 1970s with discipline, yoga and improved diction. Films such as Ghar (1978), Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978) and Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Khoobsurat (1980), which won her the Filmfare Best Actress award, established her as a leading actress.
Umrao Jaan and Silsila
Muzaffar Ali’s Umrao Jaan (1981), in which she played a nineteenth-century Lucknow courtesan and poet, brought her the National Film Award for Best Actress and remains her most celebrated role. The same year she co-starred with Amitabh Bachchan in Yash Chopra’s Silsila. Later successes include Khoon Bhari Maang (1988) and Koi... Mil Gaya (2003).
Public life
Rekha was a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha from 2012 to 2018 and received the Padma Shri in 2010. Known for her Kanjeevaram silk saris and gold jewellery, she remains a popular presence at film events.
Timeline
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1954
Born in Madras (now Chennai), Tamil Nadu
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1970
Hindi debut in Sawan Bhadon
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1978
Ghar and Muqaddar Ka Sikandar
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1980
Khoobsurat
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1981
Umrao Jaan and Silsila
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1988
Khoon Bhari Maang
-
2010
Padma Shri
-
2012
Nominated to the Rajya Sabha
Notable works
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1978
Ghar Film
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1978
Muqaddar Ka Sikandar Film
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1980
Khoobsurat Film
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1981
Umrao Jaan Film
-
1981
Silsila Film
-
1988
Khoon Bhari Maang Film
Awards and honours
-
Filmfare Award for Best Actress
1981 · Khoobsurat.
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National Film Award for Best Actress
1982 · Umrao Jaan.
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Filmfare Award for Best Actress
1989 · Khoon Bhari Maang.
-
Padma Shri
2010
Did you know?
-
1
Her father was Tamil film star Gemini Ganesan.
-
2
She is known for wearing Kanjeevaram silk saris.
-
3
She served in the Rajya Sabha for six years.
Connections
Related people
Also born on 10 October
-
S. S. Rajamouli
Film & TV · Telugu film director of Baahubali and RRR
1973
-
Shubhanshu Shukla
Space & Exploration · Indian Air Force pilot and ISRO astronaut; first Indian aboard the International Space Station
1985
-
R. K. Narayan
Literature · Novelist and creator of the fictional town of Malgudi
1906
Frequently asked
Who is Rekha?
Rekha is a Hindi film actress whose career spans more than 180 films. Known for her reinvention from a teenage star into a style icon, she won the National Film Award for Best Actress for her role as a poet-courtesan in Umrao Jaan (1981).
How old is Rekha?
Rekha is 72 years old, born on 10 October 1954 in Madras (now Chennai), Tamil Nadu.
Where is Rekha from?
Rekha was born in Madras (now Chennai), Tamil Nadu.
What is Rekha known for?
Rekha is best known for Ghar, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Khoobsurat, Silsila, Umrao Jaan.
What awards has Rekha received?
Notable honours include Filmfare Award for Best Actress (1981), National Film Award for Best Actress (1982), Filmfare Award for Best Actress (1989), Padma Shri (2010).
References
- Rekha (actress) — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Rekha (actress) — IMDb. IMDb. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Rekha (actress) — Hindi Wikipedia. Wikipedia (Hindi). Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Rekha (actress) (Q465826) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Rekha (actress)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 27 October 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Rekha.” TrackFame, last updated 28 October 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/rekha
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