Kabir Bedi Recalls How Rekha Was Dismissed As 'Dark-skinned South Indian Actress' In Early Days

Veteran actress Rekha is known for her elegance, grace, eloquence, star power, and whatnot. But all this didn’t come easy to her. In the early years of her career, she faced immense scepticism, primarily for her skin tone and acting skills. However, she wasn’t the one to back off that easily. With immense determination, perseverance, and resilience, Rekha reached the top of the ladder, leaving an indelible mark in the industry.

In an interview with Indian Express, Rekha’s Khoon Bhari Maang co-star Kabir Bedi spoke about the actress’ exceptional talent and star power. Talking about her unmissable “X factor,” the 78-year-old actor said, “I did one of my most iconic films, Khoon Bhari Maang with Rekha, and she was the star of the film. Thinking about Rekha, she is not only a brilliant actress, but she has also a quality that many actors don’t. She has an aura. She has a certain feel of a diva in an iconic sense, and she carries that aura with her.”

Bedi also highlighted the obstacles Rekha had to overcome to achieve the kind of stardom she has today. “She came to Bombay and started with smaller films like Sawan Bhadon and all that, and she really had to work her way up the ladder.” Sharing how people used to belittle her based on her dark skin, the veteran actor added, “They used to dismiss her as a dark-skinned South Indian actress, and then she became a white swan with her performances and her success. So she really proved her mettle in the industry with her acting. But beyond acting, is a question of a certain persona that is just there in stars, and she has that.”

Kabir Bedi remembered meeting Rekha for the first time on the sets of the 1981 film Umrao Jaan. He mentioned that the actress “was a star from the moment” he saw her. Bedi also recalled being offered a role in the Rakesh Roshan-directed thriller Khoon Bhari Maang and revealed that the director trusted his acting abilities to play both a villain and a hero.

Sharing that he didn’t even think for a second upon knowing that Rekha was the lead actress, Bedi added, “I asked him who the leading lady was, and he said, Rekha. I didn’t wait for one second, I said ‘done’ because it was fantastic to be acting with her and a joy to perform with her. She is unquestionably the star of the film. The film was one of my most successful, too.”

In the interview, when the 78-year-old was questioned about what it would for Rekha to comeback on the silver screen, Bedi mentioned, “Rekha remains untouched as a diva, and if anyone has her in their film, they will be fortunate.”