In a memorable throwback interview, veteran actress Rekha had showered praise on Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, declaring her the best among models and expressing her willingness to defend her fiercely. Rekha had stressed that Aishwarya doesn’t need to venture into Hollywood to validate her talent, stating, “She’s our treasure.”
“Among the models I admire, I find Aishwarya is the best. I disagree with the media that she is ‘plastic’. I find her very expressive. I will fight for her like a tigress if need be. My heart goes out to Ash. She’s been around for so long and yet not been there. That’s how it was with me…until I did Umrao. It seemed improbable that a Tamilan girl talking Urdu would work. Similarly this South Indian girl should realize her potential in Umrao. She doesn’t need to go to Hollywood to prove herself. She’s our own. Why Bride & Prejudice? Who are these people from outside trying to tap Ash’s potential? She’s our treasure. It’s time we acknowledge her,” Rekha was quoted as saying in an old interview.
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Meanwhile, the long-rumored romance between Rekha and Amitabh Bachchan has always been the talk of the town. Despite never openly discussing their relationship, it is widely believed that they fell in love while filming Do Anjaane in 1976, a period when Bachchan was already married to Jaya.
Rekha once remarked in an interview, “Why should he have not done it? He did it to protect his image, his family, his children. Why should the public know of my love for him or his love for me? I love him and he loves me- that’s it! If he’d reacted that ways towards me in private, I would have been very disappointed. Mr Bachchan is still old-fashioned. He doesn’t want to hurt anybody, so why hurt his wife?”
Rekha has remained single at 70.