When Rekha allegedly revealed she became a vegetarian because of Amitabh Bachchan, "I stopped living dangerously..."

When Rekha allegedly revealed she became a vegetarian because of Amitabh Bachchan, "I stopped living dangerously..."

Rekha celebrated another birthday on Friday, October 10. But the real story lies in the mid-1970s, around 1976, when she quietly began a personal revolution. In her early twenties then, she decided she didn’t want to drift through life. She wanted agency, discipline and a reinvention that went far beyond just her film persona.

She took on the hard work: improving her Hindi, English, Urdu; sharpening her diction; reworking her image. She would soon be spoken of not just as a beautiful actress, but as an icon with poise, mystery and substance. What this really meant was shedding her carefree past and building something more enduring.

In that transformation, Amitabh Bachchan became, in her words, the strongest influence. “From him I learnt punctuality, silence, discipline, dedication, concentration and professionalism,” she told Rediff. “He influenced my behaviour and lifestyle. I became a vegetarian and stopped living dangerously. The enchanting thing is that with him, it’s not just the change but even the process of changing that has been beautiful.”

The rumor mill, of course, offered its own explanations. Journalist Pooja Samant once claimed that “Rekha turned vegetarian to impress Amitabh Bachchan.” (www.ndtv.com) Others suggest it was an act of devotion, or infatuation. But Rekha’s framing was always less about dramatic acts and more about quiet, interior change.

There were tensions. Hanif Zaveri, a film historian, shared on the Meri Saheli podcast that during the height of rumors, Jaya Bachchan invited Rekha over for lunch while Amitabh was away and reportedly told her, “Dekho, Amitabh mera tha, mera hai, aur mera hi rahega.” (Look, Amitabh was mine, is mine, and will always be mine.) (www.ndtv.com) Whether that confrontation truly happened or was amplified by legend is hard to verify—but it reflects how loaded the stakes were.

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Rekha’s life after that point didn’t erase the past, but she carried forward her transformation. In 1990 she married Mukesh Agarwal. Within months, he died by suicide, and the marriage became one of the darkest chapters of her life. Meanwhile, Amitabh Bachchan remained married to Jaya since 1973. The circle closed in the public eye, even as their personal stories diverged.

On screen, their pairing grew legendary. They acted together in Do Anjaane, Mr. Natwarlal, Suhaag, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, and Silsila. Their chemistry, and the rumors around it, only added layers to Rekha’s transformation narrative.