Throwback: When Rekha got candid about Amitabh Bachchan denying their love affair

For the longest time, Bollywood has romanticised the idea of love on the silver screen. We have seen several romantic on-screen jodi which has reinstated our belief in true love time and again. Besides, the off screen jodis in Bollywood has also made heads turn time and again with their love affairs. One such pair was Bollywood’s man with the Midas touch Amitabh Bachchan and industry’s eternal beauty Rekha. The duo has been one of the most popular onscreen pairs and has given several blockbuster hits together including Suhaag, Mr Natwarlal, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, etc. While people were in awe of their onscreen equation, their real life love story and sizzling chemistry was also a thing in the industry.

For the uninitiated, Big B and Rekha’s love story kick started on the sets of their 1976 release Do Anjaane. However, it made its way to the grapevine two years later and ever since then a lot has been said about this most talked about love affair. While the gossip mills were abuzz about Amitabh and Rekha’s affair, the Deewar star, who was married to Jaya Bachchan, never admitted of his relationship with his Muqaddar Ka Sikander co-star. However, Rekha being her unabashed self was unfazed about everything being said about her dating a married man.

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In fact, while Amitabh even denied dating Rekha, the latter, in an interview to Filmfare in 1984, asserted that the Sholay star did it to protect his image. She even asserted that while she is aware of Amitabh’s feelings for her, she isn’t bothered about what people think of her. Rekha added, “Why should he have not done it? He did it to protect his image, to protect his family, to protect his children. I think it is beautiful, I don’t care what the public thinks of it. Why should the public know of my love for him or his love for me? I love him, he loves me – that’s it! I don’t care what anybody thinks. If he’d reacted that way towards me in private, I would have been very disappointed. But has he ever done that? I ask you. So why should I care about what he’s said in public? I know people must be saying bechari Rekha, pagal hai us par, phir bhi dekho. Maybe I deserve that pity. Not that he has 10 rollicking affairs! Mr Bachchan is still old-fashioned. He doesn’t want to hurt anybody, so why hurt his wife?”

Furthermore, Rekha emphasised that while her reaction isn’t typical but there is a lot of fulfilment. “We are human beings who love and accept each other for what we are. There’s more happiness in our lives than misery. Nothing else matters. But as long as I’m with that person, I don’t care. I cannot identify me with anyone else. Don’t publish this. For he’ll deny it. Then I’ll affirm it. Then there will be a statement from his camp saying, “No, no. she is nuts like Parveen Babi.” Then I’ll say “No, no. Parveen Babi is not here, but here I am to issue a statement.” Anyway, why should I be talking to you about my personal life? I am a very creative person. I have a lot of interests. People love talking about my personal life. But I want to keep it to myself. Mr Bachchan is important to me, not to anybody else,” Rekha was quoted saying.

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Interestingly, in the interview, Rekha had also spoken about having lots of children. In fact, she wanted to embrace motherhood by the age of 30 as she wanted her kids to physically grow with her. “I enjoy the privacy of my home. But I want the emptiness of my house to be filled with children. Just imagine, children running up the stairs. But I’m determined not to have only two children. 12 minimum,” the veteran actress had stated.

The Umrao Jaan actress had also mentioned that she will never have a child out of wedlock. She said, “It may be for personal reasons because I’ve seen what my mother has gone through. Bringing up children without a father. I won’t deny my child that. I don’t know when I’ll have a child. I might never have one. Children may tie me down to domesticated life. And I’ve other dreams too.”

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For the uninitiated, Rekha had married businessman Mukesh Aggarwal in 1990 who apparently committed suicide after seven months of their wedding.