Why Rekha Still Applies Sindoor? The Mystery Behind Her Signature Look

Bollywood actress Rekha was married to Mukesh Agarwal, a Delhi-based businessman and television maker. He died in 1990.

Why Rekha Still Applies Sindoor?

Fans have long been intrigued by veteran actress Rekha's appearances at public occasions while wearing sindoor, a traditional mark often associated with married Hindu women. Rekha's choice to continue wearing sindoor over her husband's objections has long been one of Bollywood's most intriguing secrets. Let's analyse the rationale for Rekha's significant step and why she's been doing it even 36 years after her husband's death:

Who applies Sindoor?

In Hindu custom, married women wear sindoor, a crimson or orange vermilion powder put along the hairline, as mark of marital status. The rite is considered extremely significant in many Hindu homes, and the groom often performs it during the wedding ceremony.

Why Rekha Still Applies Sindoor?

Rekha, a Bollywood actress, was married to Mukesh Agarwal, a businessman and television manufacturer from Delhi. The couple married in 1990, but the wedding lasted only seven months since Agarwal committed suicide when Rekha was in London.

Why Does Rekha Use Sindoor?

In June 1982, Rekha received the Best Actress National Award for her portrayal in Umrao Jaan. At the time, the then-President of India, Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, enquired, "Why do you have sindoor in your maang?" The actress said, "In the city I come from, it's fashionable to wear sindoor."

While this occurred prior to Rekha's marriage, she was seen with the sindoor even after her spouse Mukesh Aggarwal died in 1990. In an interview with the Hindustan Times in 2008, the actor referred to the matter and stated,, "I donAggarwal, diedhow others respond. By the way, I believe it looks good on me. Sindoor fits me."

Does Rekha Wear Sindoor for Amitabh Bachchan?

In March 2025, film historian Hanif Zaveri reported that Rekha, who is frequently associated with Amitabh Bachchan, still has a soft spot for the Bollywood superstar. 

"There is a softness—if something goes wrong with Amitabh Bachchan, she believes it should not happen. Similarly, if something occurs to Rekha, Amitabh Bachchan believes it should not happen to her. "That is an attachment," Hanif said, as reported by ETimes.