Rekha’s iconic 1981 film Umrao Jaan has returned to the silver screen as part of PVR INOX’s Timeless Classics initiative, a celebration of Indian cinema’s most defining works. Directed by Muzaffar Ali, the film features Rekha in one of her most memorable performances as a courtesan and poet in 19th-century Lucknow. But while the film gained cult status, it’s the off-screen stories that continue to fascinate audiences even today.
A Love That Couldn’t Be: Rekha and Amitabh Bachchan
During the filming of Umrao Jaan, Rekha was reportedly in the throes of an emotional and controversial relationship with Amitabh Bachchan who was already married to Jaya Bachchan. Director Muzaffar Ali, in Yasser Usman’s biography Rekha: The Untold Story, revealed that Amitabh would often visit the film’s Delhi sets. “Rekha is a very sensitive woman… Amitabh Bachchan used to come and sit on our sets,” Ali recalled. “She always spoke of him using ‘inko, inhone’, like a woman who considered herself married.”
Ali went on to express that Rekha was deeply in love and believed herself to be married to Amitabh. “He should have given her an identity,” he stated, adding, “Amitabh should have married Rekha.”
The Mystery of Her Disappearances
Rumours were rife at the time that Rekha would frequently disappear from the sets, making the shooting schedule difficult. When questioned later, Rekha brushed off the speculations by admitting to being emotionally disconnected during the filming. “I was sleepwalking through the shoot,” she said, and confessed to remembering very little of it.
That Famous Wedding Night at RK Studios
One of the most talked-about moments of the Rekha-Amitabh saga occurred at Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh’s wedding. Rekha, draped in a white saree, wearing sindoor and a red bindi, caught every eye as she walked into RK Studios. According to reports in Cine Blitz, she directly approached Amitabh, who was speaking with director Manmohan Desai. Though their conversation appeared formal, Stardust magazine later reported that Jaya Bachchan, observing the interaction, couldn’t contain her emotions and was seen weeping silently.
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Legacy of Rekha’s Love and Loneliness
While Umrao Jaan remains a cinematic gem, the re-release also revives whispers of Rekha’s tragic and unfulfilled love story one that remains etched in Bollywood folklore.
