‘I remember the story very clearly. I wasn’t talking to the press at that time and was upset that my quotes were interspersed with the writer’s impressions. Today, I’m more willing to accommodate other people’s opinion about me, even if they are negative.

In that respect, I’ve certainly changed. I’m still spontaneous, but in more serious issues, I’ve become guarded. I don’t reveal things about myself that I don’t want to. If despite this, the journalist manages to make observations about me, the credit ought to go to her. This is the first time I realised that a journalist’s job is in many ways similar to an actor’s. The more he observes, the better he performs.

’Rekha is arguably the most fascinating figure in Bollywood. In Western film and entertainment terms it would be impossible to name a modern counterpart. One would have to go back to the golden age of motion pictures when there was a mythical stature attached to film stars and look at Garbo, who saw her screen persona as a different entity apart from herself. Rekha is very much the Garbo of Bollywood. Rekha herself sees her film persona in the third person. Rekha has cultivated an otherworldly aura of mystery around her persona.

She is reclusive like Garbo and will disappear from the social scene for months only to appear at the most important functions where she will hold court for a couple of hours, take the best photo opportunities for the fan magazines and then disappear like an apparition. Much has been made of her "transformation" from (in her own words) "a round ball of flesh" (where I think she means a mere human) in the 70s into a toned and manicured ultimate fashion and beauty icon and screen 'star' in the 80s. She practiced yoga and mastered the art of make-up. She was media smart and kept herself in the top headlines for over a decade. She even attached herself as the mistress to the greatest film legend of Bollywood history, Amitabh Bachchan.

She was the undisputed number one film actress of the 80s and part of the 90s. She wasn't just an actress though, Rekha was and still is a LEGEND, and it has been a calculated and hard earned effort. Now in the new millennium Rekha continues to fascinate. She still cultivates the myth that surrounds her and treats herself (and her body) with utmost care, as if she is worshiping a deity. She has embodied for herself a certain 'godhead', the Bollywood Mega Star, and she consciously acts as it's most dutiful servant.

Rekha bollywood's Classic Ice Queen actress beyond compare, a timeless beauty, an evergreen presence. Rekha has been around for many decades and her acting has been unbeatable. Beautiful eyes and a handsome face, Rekha has the husky smoldering voice to match her looks. She is still going strong with movies like Lajja, Zubeida.

By Bhawana Sommaya