Veteran actress Rekha always makes headlines for her timeless beauty, elegance and powerful screen presence. Admired for her decency and dignity in public life, the actress has also had to go through deep personal struggles that remained hidden behind her glamorous persona.
Declared an ‘illegitimate child’
Born as Bhanurekha Ganesan, Rekha is the daughter of Tamil cinema veteran Gemini Ganesan and actress Pushpavalli. At the time of his birth Gemini Ganesan was already married and the affair between him and Pushpavalli was extramarital. As a result, Rekha was often cruelly labeled an “illegitimate child”.
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Ironically, as Rekha rose to fame and became one of the most famous actresses of Hindi cinema, Gemini Ganesan came to be recognized as her father rather than the other way around.
grew up in a complex family
Rekha grew up in a large, complex family. His mother Pushpavalli had relationships with three partners and a total of six children. Gemini Ganesan, on the other hand, had eight children, four of them with his wife Alamelu and two each with Pushpavalli and actress Savitri.
Despite this complex family structure, Rekha’s childhood was spent due to emotional distance from her father.
‘I didn’t know what the word ‘father’ meant’
In a candid conversation with Simi Garewal, Rekha once spoke honestly about her relationship, or lack thereof, with her father.
“I was a kid when he moved out. I don’t remember it. Looking back, maybe I miss him. But when you haven’t tasted something, you don’t know what it means. I didn’t know what the word ‘father’ meant.”
Although Gemini Ganesan never lived with her, Rekha would sometimes see him at school when he would drop off one of her step-sisters.
“I don’t think he noticed me. I don’t think he saw me,” she recalled.
Searching for a stepsister at school
A very emotional incident has been revealed in Narayani Ganesh’s book Eternal Romantic: My Father, Gemini Ganesan. Narayani wrote that when she was 10 years old, a classmate asked her why she did not travel with her sister.
In the confusion, Narayani was again taken to meet Rekha.
Narayani wrote, “She was beautiful and had kajal in her eyes. She said her name was Bhanurekha.”
When Narayani asked Rekha who her father was, she replied, “Gemini Ganesan.”
Narayani recalled, “My eyes filled with tears. How could this happen? He was my father.”
Rekha’s mother ‘spoke constantly’ about Gemini Ganesan
Despite separation, Pushpavalli never erased Gemini Ganesan’s presence from Rekha’s life. Rekha later told that her mother used to constantly talk about her.
“Although he never lived with us, we felt his presence wherever we went. My mother constantly talked about him – his likes and dislikes. Whatever you call it – love or affection – my mother’s feelings towards him were strong and positive. It remained throughout her life.”
Rekha also said that she grew up in an environment that felt like a normal family.
“We were not given the impression that anything was out of the ordinary or out of the ordinary.”
Rekha entered the film industry at the age of 14, not on her own will but due to her mother’s increasing debt. Despite his success, Gemini Ganesan never acknowledged his appearance in public during his early years.
Turbulent personal life and marriage
Rekha was heartbroken in her personal life. After several emotional setbacks, she married industrialist Mukesh Aggarwal in 1990. Gemini Ganesan attended the small wedding ceremony in Tirupati and blessed the couple.
The sad thing is that Rekha became a widow in the same year when Mukesh Aggarwal died by suicide.
Why did Rekha refuse to attend her father’s funeral?
When Gemini Ganesan died in 2005, Rekha decided not to attend his funeral. Film critic Subhash K Jha later quoted Rekha as explaining her decision:
“Why should I mourn for him when he is a part of me? I am grateful for his genes, his teachings, his rich life, and his existence. I am glad that I did not have to share unpleasant moments with him. He existed for me in my imagination – and it is more beautiful than in reality.”