Happy Birthday Rekha: 7 things you should know about the diva, if you are her fan

Rekha, one of India's most recognised performers, has always remained a mystery to her admirers, the film industry, the media, you name it. On her 69th birthday, here are seven fascinating facts about the Umrao Jaan actress.

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Rekha turned 69 today (October 10). The actor has acted in over 180 films throughout her career. Rekha is undoubtedly one of Indian cinema's most enduring performers, having won one National Award for her portrayal in the 1981 period drama Umrao Jaan, three Filmfare Awards, and a Padma Shri in 2010.

Here are seven Rekha facts you probably didn't know...
Rekha (born Rekha Ganesan) grew up in Chennai, the daughter of Tamil actor Gemini Ganesan and Telugu actor Pushpavalli. Gemini Ganesan and Pushpavalli were not married at the time of her birth, and Gemini denied being Rekha's father throughout her infancy. In reality, it was the family's dire financial situation that drove Rekha to take up acting.

Rekha has one sister, five half-sisters, and one half-brother; all are from the same father, Gemini Ganesan. Even though Rekha and her cousins had different moms, the actor is quite close to them.

Rekha began acting as a kid in the 1966 Telugu film Rangula Ratnam. In the 1969 Kannada film Operation Jackpot Nalli C.I.D 999, she made her cinematic debut as a heroine. She made her Hindi cinema debut the same year with Anjana Safar.

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The Umrao Jaan actor refused to divulge her parents for a long time. She exposed the truth about her beginnings in the early 1970s when she was just starting out in Bollywood. On the sets of Anjana Safar, actor Biswajeet Chatterjee and director Raja Nawathe pushed a confused 15-year-old Rekha into a five-minute long smooching sequence.

For the first 10 years of her life in Bombay, Rekha felt like a fish out of water. She didn't speak Hindi and struggled to interact with her cast and crew because she was from the south. She was continuously missing her severely ill mother. She also had to follow a rigorous diet.

For a long time, Rekha was not regarded as a top heroine. Her dark appearance, chubby stature, and the flashy attire she donned in her films made her contemporaries dismiss her. People didn't take Rekha seriously as an actor till she co-starred with Amitabh Bachchan in Do Anjaane (1976) and played a rape victim in Ghar (1978).

When reported spouse actor Vinod Mehra returned to his house after getting married in Calcutta, Mehra's mother was furious at Vinod for marrying Rekha. Rekha allegedly pushed her mother-in-law aside when she sought to touch her mother-in-law's feet. She continued to taunt and abuse Rekha, even going so far as to strike the poor woman with her sandals. Vinod had to mediate between his mother and Rekha.

On January 22, 1980, Rekha wore sindoor and a mangalsutra to Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh's wedding! The wedding was held at RK Studios and was attended by the film industry's who's who, including Amitabh Bachchan, his wife Jaya, and their parents. According to those present at the wedding that evening, Rekha made a sensational entry in a magnificent white sari, with a red bindi on her forehead and, well, red sindoor on her hair.

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Rekha married and settled down with businessman Mukesh Agarwal within a month of meeting him. However, Rekha did not know at the time of their marriage that the businessman suffered from chronic depression, which apparently, ran in his family.