Now Reading: Rekha was fat, but reinvented herself: brother-in-law
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Rekha was fat, but reinvented herself: brother-in-law
Rekha's brother-in-law, actor Tej Sapru, has recalled her early days in Bollywood, saying she was 'fat' when she started but groomed herself remarkably. In an interview with Rediff Originals, Sapru said he…
The Story in Brief
Rekha's brother-in-law, actor Tej Sapru, has recalled her early days in Bollywood, saying she was 'fat' when she started but groomed herself remarkably. In an interview with Rediff Originals, Sapru said he admires her discipline and credited her transformation entirely to her own effort. He also praised her grace on the reality show 'Indian Idol' and her singing and handwriting. Rekha herself had said in a 1980s interview with Simi Garewal that being fit is essential and that 'fat is ugly.' The actress, a daughter of Gemini Ganesan and Pushpavalli, debuted in 1970's 'Sawan Bhadon' and has starred in over 180 films, including 'Umrao Jaan' and 'Silsila'.
The Indian Opinion
The story focuses on Rekha's weight as a marker of her transformation, feeding a tired narrative that equates beauty with thinness. Her brother-in-law's admiration is genuine, but the fixation on her 'fat' past and her own harsh words about fat being 'ugly' reinforce harmful standards. Many actors have struggled with weight, but few face such public dissection. The real test is whether we can celebrate her discipline without endorsing body-shaming, or will we always reduce a woman's journey to the number on the scale?
Sources (2): timesofindia.indiatimes.com, ndtv.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
