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.