No wonder people could not accept Aishwarya Rai as Umrao Jaan, even when she is the reigning beauty queen.
The original Umrao will always be Rekha. She is 'The Diva' and no one can match her oomph.
Her eyes are the windows to her soul and they are very expressive. They add a sense of mystery and enigma to her character. They can burn you with desire. They can be sultry and sensual; they also make you cry. "In aankhon ki masti ke, mastaane hazaaroon hai" - so very true.
Today, even at the age of 58, she exudes grace and charm. Dressed in her trademark Kancheevaram Silk Saree, she is a personification of Indian woman.
Born as Banurekha Ganeshan, she was compelled to take up acting at the age of 14. She was immature, fat and dark skinned. When plastic surgery was unheard of in India, from being called an ugly duckling, made fun of by the people in the film industry; she transformed herself into a swan. She schooled herself, reformed and refined herself...much to the envy of other actresses of that time.
Though she had a fantastic career, her personal life was one of failed marriages and relationships, very much mirroring her character of Umrao. But, who cares? It is the screen persona I am in awe with.
I really love her . She is the ultimate woman ...the sultry seductress with an endless innocence about her :)
ReplyDeleteYou're right; after Rekha, no one can match her charisma and her sex appeal!
ReplyDeleteRekha is the most gorgeous of that era and even now !! I SOOO love this song. Whenever I watch Silsila I feel its her story
ReplyDeleteWHY shud all beauties well many hav complex love lives :-/ !
Yeh Kaha aa gaye hum... :D
ReplyDeleteUUU hi saath saath chalte...
the ultimate glamour girl of Indian cinema :D
Somehow I loved her most in Khoobsurat
Ya, I love her Khoobsurat avtaar too, she was so cute in that one!
DeleteA woman of substance. I had the pleasure of meeting her during a flight She is astoundingly pretty in person :)
ReplyDeleteShe seems like the curious case of Benjamin Button.... She is looking younger as she grows older !
ReplyDeletePhenoMenon
http://capturedalive.wordpress.com/2013/04/24/underneath-the-balmy-sky/
I watched this movie ages ago. But there is one sequence where she goes back to her home after years, and her mother recognises her or something but pretends she has not. Very poignant.
ReplyDeleteHo she personifies the oomph factor like no other!
ReplyDelete'Ik tum hi nahi tanha ulfat mein meri ruswa..iss shehar mein tum jaise deewane hazaaron hain..'
ReplyDeleteI love the song and yes, Rekha is the Umrao Jaan. The dusky, sultry, mysterious Rekha. Aishwarya never had a chance.
The transformation she has undergone is nothing short of incredible!! I like her and have seen Umrao Jaan many years ago.
ReplyDeleteHaven't seen the old Umrao Jaan. But she's always a woman with attitude.
ReplyDeleteEver so true - only Rekha can be Umrao Jaan. My favourite UJ song is Dil Cheez Kya Hai.
ReplyDeletesmiles....th screen persona...the fiction...yet behind it another string of failed marriages and...smiles...makes you wonder about us a bit doesnt it
ReplyDeleteSo apt for her, I can't help but feel sad for her personal life though.
ReplyDeleteWhoa! She is definitely "The" Umrao Jaan. None can ever match her and I see so many other emulating her -- just can't match THAT aura of hers!
ReplyDeleteYou are right ..... there can be no other Umarao Jan .... no one, no one could have done in ankhon ki masti as well as her ....
ReplyDeleteI have no idea who she is, but she is gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteVery pretty, I didn't realize divorces were permitted in India. She looks very different in each of the pictures.
ReplyDeleteA-Z
Rehka is truly the hottest Indian actress around!
ReplyDeleteShe is ageless beauty.There can be no one like Rekha!The beauty,sex appeal,the naughty glint in her eyes...uff.
ReplyDeleteAishwarya Rai shouldn't even be compared to someone as talented as Rekha. Ms. Rai doesn't know from the frying pan in front of her.
ReplyDeleteI love Rekha in Umrao Jaan and Silsila. She is a timeless beauty
It's sad how so many successful actors and actresses have horrible personal lives.
ReplyDeletehttp://joycelansky.blogspot.com/2013/04/atoz-u-urban-dictionary.html
What a woman!
ReplyDeleteShe indeed has a screen presence!
ReplyDeletei share my birth day (not the year though!) with her!
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