In a candid interview with ETimes, veteran filmmaker Umesh Mehra reminisced about his professional relationship with Bollywood icon Rekha, sharing insights into her talent, dedication, and unique personality. Having directed her in films such as Jaal, Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi and Qila, Mehra reflected on what sets Rekha apart from her contemporaries and the special bond they shared during their collaborations.
You have worked with Rekha in quite a few films. What sets her apart from the rest?
I have worked with Rekha in several films. My first interaction with her was in 1971 when she was doing a film called Elaan for my dad. I remember she had come over, and while we boys were playing cricket outside, she abandoned her meeting, which her secretary and mother were handling with my dad, and joined us to play. I mention this because I recall her as a happy, bubbly, spontaneous person. We were almost the same age, and it was a lovely interaction that I remember even now.
My first film with her as a director was Jaal. It had a very interesting storyline, and we needed someone with Rekha’s talent. She played a girl from a small village in a ghagra-choli, who then transforms into a club dancer, and later, a woman seeking revenge for her husband’s death. One of the big twists in the movie was her playing the mother of Mandakini, yet she carried the film like she was the boss. The role, the get-up, the scenes she did – frankly, I think both she and I deserved more recognition beyond the box office success, but it wasn’t taken up by the intellectual audience at the time. Rekha didn’t bother much about publicity, attending parties, or functions back then, but Jaal is a milestone in my career, for which Rekha and Mithun are primarily responsible.
One cannot help but talk about Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi.
That film needed someone of huge stature because Akshay Kumar was already a big star. You couldn’t imagine anyone else but Rekha for that role, and even today, I can’t think of anyone else with her kind of stature. I always said to her, whether it was Jaal or Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi, she was my Amitabh Bachchan. She delivered in that capacity.
There was a lot of nonsensical talk about her and Raveena because Akshay and Raveena were rumored to be dating, but I remember how well Rekha and Raveena got along. Rekha would literally do Raveena’s makeup and give her tips. You can confirm that with Raveena. It was a beautiful relationship.
Was Rekha your favorite, and how many films did you work with her?
I did three films with Rekha: Jaal, Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi, and Qila. She was perfect whenever I approached her. But I would also say Zeenat Aman was another favorite actress of mine. I did some important films with her, starting with Alibaba and Sohni Mahiwal. I started my career at the same time as she was doing Manoranjan for my dad with Shammi Kapoor. One of my jobs was to drive her to the shoot, and we grew up together, living in the same building. Between these two, I couldn’t have asked for anyone better, although I have also worked with Shabana Azmi and Parveen Babi.
Did you give Rekha narrations like it’s done today?
For Jaal, we did give her a narration, though it wasn’t a bound script narration. With her intellectual capacity and experience working with the biggest names, she would easily grasp everything, so there was no need to go scene by scene like today.
About the Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi song…
Frankly, we were sitting in the car outside her bungalow, and I gave her a narration there. I played the song for her, and by that time, she had developed such trust in me that we finalized the film in 30 to 40 minutes.
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Why do you think Rekha didn’t do more films?
There was no question about her ability. Producers often lined up for her, but she had her choices, just like Dilip Kumar, who did one film in ten years. Rekha needed to trust the people she was working with. She had her preferences about things like costumes, and she would often do things herself. You had to spend time with her, but once she trusted you, she was like a Rolls Royce – a thoroughbred. A mere gesture was enough for her to understand what needed to be done.
Did actors call the shots on who the heroine should be in the film?
It depends on who is beholden to whom. If you’re beholden to the actor for your film or career, then yes, they would call the shots. But if you’re a director of stature, there wasn’t always a need for narration when there was trust. I’ve done eight films with Mithun Chakraborty, and the only narration I gave him was on the first day of the shoot. It was a different time and breed of actors. Today, actors have secretaries who listen to bound scripts, yet we still see a 90% flop rate. We finished our films on time and didn’t have to deal with the nonsense I hear about today. People like Raj Kapoor or Manmohan Desai would have had difficulty working with actors today.