Jackie Shroff celebrates Rekha's 71st b'day with warm tribute: 'My respect always'

Mumbai: Veteran actor Jackie Shroff extended heartfelt birthday wishes to evergreen diva Rekha, who turned 71 on Friday. He went on to express his admiration for her with a touching message.

Jackie took to Instagram stories, where he shared a photo collage of Rekha from all the photo-shoots and films she has done. The video montage had the song “Aap Ki Ankhon Mein Kuch” from the 1978 film “Ghar” playing in the background.

For the caption, Jackie wrote in the Instagram stories’ comment section: “My respect always #Rekhaji”.

Rekha has starred in more than 200 films and is the recipient of several accolades, including one National Film Award. She has often played strong and complicated female characters from fictional to literary in both mainstream and independent films.

Rekha gained a reputation for reinventing herself numerous times and has been credited for her ability to sustain her status. In 2010, the Government of India honoured her with Padma Shri.

Rekha began her acting journey as a child in Telugu films before making her debut as a lead with the Kannada film Operation Jackpot Nalli C.I.D 999.

Her first Hindi film was Sawan Bhadon, which made her into a rising star. She went on to earn acclaim for performances in Ghar and Muqaddar Ka Sikandar.

Her breakthrough came with Khubsoorat. She balanced mainstream success with powerful performances in parallel cinema with Kalyug, Vijeta, and Umrao Jaan, the latter winning her a National Award. Rekha later redefined the image of the Hindi film heroine with women-centric roles such as in Khoon Bhari Maang.

In later years, she earned praise for diverse roles, including a strong turn as a don in Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi, and performances in Zubeidaa, Lajja, and Krrish. Beyond films, Rekha also served in the Rajya Sabha.

Her last work on the big screen was in the 2014 film Super Nani. It also stars Sharman Joshi, Randhir Kapoor, Anupam Kher and Rajesh Kumar. The film is based on the Gujarati play, Baa Ae Maari Boundary by Imtiaz Patel.

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