‘Rekha And I Didn’t Speak To Each Other For 20 Years’

‘Rekha
and
my
wife
were
close
friends,
and
my
so-called
cold
war
with
Rekha
was
causing
difficulties
in
my
wife’s
friendship
with
her.’>
‘She
patched
us
up
for
her
own
selfish
reason.’

Which
leading
man
looked
best
opposite
Rekha?

Shatrughan
Sinha
feels
it
was
him!

As
the
diva
turns
70
on
October
10,
Shatrughan
Sinha
looks
back
at
their
long
association
and
tells

Subhash
K
Jha,
“We
started
our
careers
almost
simultaneously.
The
Rekha
back
then
was
very
different
from
the
picture-perfect
Rekha
we
see
these
days.”

Rekha
turns
70
today.
What
do
you
have
to
say?

Bahot
khoob!
Bahot
khubsoorat.
She
is
the
epitome
of
beauty
and
grace.

Women
and
girls
over
generations
consider
her
a
role
model,
and
she
is
aware
of
this.

She
knows
the
responsibility
that
comes
with
fame.

Rekha
and
you
have
had
a
very
eventful
relationship.
A
book
can
be
written
on
your
association
with
her.

(Laughs)
A
book?
Why
not
a
film?

Jokes
aside,
there
are
many
things
in
the
world
to
be
written
about.

That
said,

haan,
meri
aur
the
beautiful
gorgeous
ever
young
Rekha

ka
association
is
as
old
as
the
hills
and
as
bumpy.

I
think
the
first
time
we
worked
together
was

Rampur
Ka
Lakshman
in
1972.
The
great
Manmohan
Desai
directed
us.

Dabboo
(Randhir
Kapoor)
was
Rekha’s
leading
man.
I
was
the
villain
in
their
love
story.

But
you
stole
the
show
from
both
of
them.

Main
toh
yeh
nahin
bol
sakta.
But
many
years
later,
I
was
her
leading
man
in
Raj
Khosla’s

Maati
Maange
Khoon.

She
played
a

tawaif
and
I
was
a
dacoit.

A
good
film
with
fantastic
music
by
R
D
Burman!
Ghulam
Ali’s

Yeh
Dil
Yeh
Pagal
Dil
Mera
was
recorded
especially
for
the
film.

Lekin
chali
nahin.

Haan
magar
Rekha

aur
meri
dosti
chalti
rahi.

So
is
she
a
friend
now?

We
have
a
very
long
association.

I
am
her
senior,
both
age-wise
and
professionally.

She
respects
me,
and
is
very
close
to
my
wife,
Poonam.

The
fall-out
between
you
two
happened
during
the
making
of
Rakesh
Roshan’s

Khoon
Bhari
Maang.

We
had
a
difference
of
opinion
over
some
silly
issue.

After
that,
we
didn’t
speak
to
each
other
for
more
than
20
years.

My
wife
Poonam
Sinha
ended
our
silly
differences.

You
see,
Rekha
and
she
were
close
friends,
and
my
so-called
cold
war
with
Rekha
was
causing
difficulties
in
my
wife’s
friendship
with
her.

She
patched
us
up
for
her
own
selfish
reason
and
I
happily
agreed
to
let
bygones
be
bygones.

You
made
many
uncharitable
remarks
about
Rekha
while
your
cold
war
was
on.

Yes.
I
shouldn’t
have.

To
her
credit,
Rekha
never
retaliated.

She
is
a
very
large-hearted
generous
woman.

Is
she
really
70?

Hard
to
believe.
So
well-maintained.

Rekha
is
a
timeless
beauty,
and
matchless.

So
many
have
copied
her
style.

But
Rekha
remains
Rekha.

Unique,
no
one
quite
like
her.

We
started
our
careers
almost
simultaneously.

The
Rekha
back
then
was
very
different
from
the
picture-perfect
Rekha
we
see
these
days.

Which
leading
man
do
you
think
was
her
perfect
co-star?

I
know
the
name
you
want
to
hear.

But
if
you
ask
me,
her
best
co-star
is
the
one
and
only
Shatrughan
Sinha.