The scintillating and ravishing Rekha has won millions of hearts with her on-screen charisma. The actress, who began her career at the age of 13, strived really hard to make a name for herself in the male-dominated industry back in her time. From being molested in the initial stages of her career to her name getting linked to every other actor she ever worked with, Rekha has always been at the centre of controversies.
Her professional life has seen many highs, but her personal life was never a bed of roses as she bared many heartbreaks. From her infamous affair with Amitabh Bachchan to her complicated marriage with the business tycoon, Mukesh Agarwal, Rekha’s life has always been a roller coaster ride. Among her controversial affairs, Rekha’s alleged marriage with actor, Vinod Mehra is still one of the most discussed subjects in Bollywood.
According to Rekha’s biography, The Untold Story, written by Yasser Usman, Rekha met Vinod Mehra after her alleged breakup with Jeetendra. They did many films together and eventually fell madly in love with each other. Rekha was so fond of Vinod that she called him ‘Vin Vin’. They would go for long drives and were even spotted having dinner at the Taj. In a throwback interview with Star and Style, Rekha also gave a subtle hint about her relationship with Vinod and said:
“Vinod kissed me on my birthday but in the morning and in the privacy of my bedroom.”
Whenever the media criticised Rekha, Vinod would come to her rescue and defend her. The two wanted to get married, but Vinod’s mother, Kamla Mehra, objected to their relationship. Vinod’s mother wanted a traditional daughter-in-law, but Rekha was exactly opposite to her expectations.
Rekha talked about her equation with Vinod Mehra’s mother
Rekha’s bold films and controversial statements never went down well with Kamla Mehra. In a throwback interview, Rekha revealed what Vinod Mehra’s mother thought about the actress and said:
“To her (Vinod’s mother) I am not just an actress, but I am a badnaam actress with a rotten past and a reputation for being a sex-maniac. For Vinod’s sake, she tolerated me in the beginning. Now she won’t tolerate me at all.”
When Vinod Mehra’s mother tried to hit Rekha with her ‘chappal’
As Rekha was madly in love with Vinod and didn’t want him to leave her, she forced him to marry her. Rekha and Vinod allegedly got married in a secret wedding in Calcutta, after which he took Rekha to his home, Nibbana, to inform his mother about their marriage. But what happened at the Mehra residence became a topic of discussion in the gossip columns.
Excerpt from Reka’s biography
As soon as Rekha bent to touch Kamla’s feet, she pushed the actress and refused to let her enter the house. She not only abused and humiliated Rekha but also took off her ‘chappal’ to beat her. Humiliated by this incident, Rekha, with tears running down her eyes, ran towards the lift while crowd gathered outside the flat.
Rekha rubbished reports of getting married to Vinod Mehra
Vinod tried to bridge the gap between Rekha and his mother but couldn’t do so. Rekha and Vinod’s marriage was a hot topic of discussion at that time. But over a period of time, the rumours diminished. In 2004, when Rekha appeared on Simi Garewal’s show, Rendezvous, she rubbished the reports about her marriage with Vinod. When Simi asked her, “In 1973, you married Vinod Mehra”, Rekha replied:
“No. Like I was married to Faruq Abdullah, you mean? No, anybody can say anything. You are asking me?…But I don’t want to (answer), it is not important, Vinod Mehra was always a well-wisher, he was always very very close to me.”
After his breakup with Rekha, Vinod Mehra got married to Kiran, the daughter of an industrialist. In 1990, Vinod Mehra passed away after suffering a heart attack. Rekha, on the other hand, married a Delhi-based businessman, Mukesh Agarwal, who committed suicide within a few months.
Also Read: When Rekha Was Humiliated And Left In Tears After An Actor Forcefully Kissed Her Without Consent
