Rekha, who turned 71 today, has been working in the film industry for 67 years. But do you which is her first Bollywood film?
Rekha moved to Mumbai from Chennai in 1969. The first film she signed was titled ‘Anjana Safar,’ directed by Kuljeet Pal. She was 15 years old at the time. According to author Yasser Usman’s book ‘Rekha: The Untold Story,’ Kuljeet was a Nairobi-based businessman who came to Bombay (now Mumbai) to produce a film.
When his second film, ‘Galliyon Ka Raja,’ starring Rajkumar, Mumtaz, and Hema Malini, stalled due to a conflict between the star cast and the director, he went to Madras (now Chennai) to cast Rekha for his next film, ‘Anjana Safar.’ He has already selected Biswajit Chatterjee and began searching for a new face opposite her. It was during this time that he met Rekha for the first time.
When Rekha signed her Bollywood debut film
Someone suggested Kuljeet cast South Indian actress Vanishree as the heroine in ‘Anjana Safar’. But when he arrived at a studio to meet Vanishree, he spotted Rekha sitting in a corner, eating a large plate of food. He was told she was working with Vanishree as the second lead.
Then someone told Kuljeet that Rekha was the daughter of legendary actress Pushpavalli. That evening, the filmmaker met Pushpavalli and expressed his desire to cast her in the film. Rekha was also present. She was wearing a Kanjeevaram saree and had strange makeup on her face.
Kuljit Pal asked Rekha in English if she could speak Hindi, and she replied no. However, Pushpavalli was determined not to let her daughter miss the opportunity to become a heroine. He told Kuljeet Pal that Rekha had a very sharp memory. If something was written down, she could instantly memorise it. He gave Rekha some Hindi lines and she spoke them, winning the filmmaker’s heart. She was signed opposite Biswajit in the film.
How much was Rekha paid for her first film?
When Rekha first came to Mumbai, she stayed in room 115 of the Ajanta Hotel in Juhu. She bore all the expenses during the shooting. During this time, Kuljeet Pal signed Rekha for eight films. The first four were with him and the next four were with his brother Shatrughan Pal.
Rekha was paid Rs 25,000 rupees for ‘Anjana Safar’ and was promised a 25,000 rupee increment after each successful film. Notably, within a month of the muhurat shot for ‘Anjana Safar,’ the 15-year-old Rekha signed three other films: ‘Mehmaan,’ ‘Hasino Ka Devta,’ and ‘Sawan Bhadon.’
‘Anjana Safar’ was released under a different name
On August 7, 1969, Rekha gave the muhurat shot for her debut film, ‘Anjana Safar,’ which was released almost 10 years later in 1979 with the changed title ‘Do Shikari.’ The film contained a kiss scene between Rekha and Biswajit, which caused the film to be held up by the censor board. It was approved in 1979, but upon release, it flopped at the box office.
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