Rekha is considered a legend, not just for her on-screen performances and the most memorable movies, the actress is also known for her style off-screen and candid confessions. While she’s now known for her looks, she’s had a rough start within the industry and wasn’t even considered conventionally beautiful. But her life and journey has been filled with ups, downs, struggles and some really interesting facets as mentioned in her biography. A book on her life, titled, ‘Rekha: The Untold Story’ by Yasser Usman also takes us through some of her movie experiences. In this book, there’s also a mention of a controversial kiss between the actress and Biswajeet. The incident occurred when Rekha was not even 15 years old, and it left her emotionally scarred. The moment took place at Bombay’s Mehboob Studios during the filming of ;Anjana Safar;, directed by Raja Nawathe. The film featured a romantic sequence between the young Rekha and Biswajeet. However, unbeknownst to her, a plan had already been laid out by the director, producer Kuljeet Pal, and Biswajeet himself. As the book describes, “Every last detail of the strategy had been decided before the shoot, and the camera was set to record each moment.”
When the director called ‘action’, Biswajeet suddenly pulled Rekha in and kissed her. What unfolded next shocked the entire unit, except, of course, those in on the plan. “This kiss had never been mentioned to her. The camera kept rolling; neither was the director ordering ‘cut’ nor was Biswajeet letting go of her. For all of five minutes, Biswajeet kept kissing Rekha. Unit members were whistling and cheering. Those voices were said to have echoed in Rekha’s conscience till much later. Her eyes were tightly shut but they were full of tears,” the biography recounts. Years later, Rekha reflected on the traumatic experience, saying, “I didn’t do it. I was taken by surprise. Nothing could’ve compensated, nothing can wipe off what I felt. Not even the coverage it got in Life magazine.” Biswajeet would later defend his actions by placing the blame squarely on the director. “It was not for my enjoyment, but important for the film,” he claimed, acknowledging that Rekha had felt “betrayed and furious” in the aftermath. But the story took another twist when producer Kuljeet Pal offered his own version of events in a later interview. He insisted that Rekha was in on the scene all along. According to him, “she was advised to later deny her consent to create a stronger impact,” especially since “Hindi film heroines” typically did not participate in such bold scenes.
