“I was completely fascinated by [Irish Catholic nuns] and even wanted to become one,” the sultry siren from Tamil Nadu who mesmerized Indian movie fans with her superb acting, told AsiaSpa India magazine recently.
Rekha, who celebrated her 57th birthday on Monday, said she grew up in Chennai and studied in a convent school managed by the Irish nuns.
She said she was a loner and would spend long hours in the school chapel “day dreaming.”
Born Bhanurekha Ganesan, she started her career with screen-name Rekha in 1966 as a child actor in the Telugu movie Rangula Ratnam.
Four years later she debuted as lead actor in Hindi movie Sawan Bhadon. She has since acted in more than 180 films in a career spanning over 40 years. She has played strong female characters in mainstream as well as parallel cinema.
Rekha recalls she had discovered that she was an artiste by nature even as a teenager.
“I spent time in my own world, the one I created for myself. My favorite subjects were Moral Science, Art and Indian History - the Romance of Shah Jehan,” she said in the interview.
She said whenever she heard something romantic, she retained it.
The actor also credited her mother for her success. “My mother wanted me to become a great star and to reach-out to everyone in India,” she said.
She said she fulfilled her mother’s desire since she could touch the hearts of four generations of Indians. “I thank God for bestowing his blessings upon me,” she added.
Source: bollywoodlife.com
