When Shatrughan Sinha did not talk to Rekha for 20 years, "Rekha back then was very different..."

Shatrughan Sinha and Rekha

Veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha spoke candidly about his prolonged 'cold war' with the legendary actress Rekha, revealing the reasons behind their two-decade-long rift and the person who played a key role in resolving it.

Rekha and Shatrughan had a fallout while filming Rakesh Roshan’s Khoon Bhari Maang. The actor shared, "We had a difference of opinion over some silly issue. After that, we didn’t speak to each other for more than 20 years."

In a conversation with Zoom, Shatrughan said, "Rekha and I did a number of films together. We started our careers almost simultaneously… The Rekha back then was very different from the picture-perfect Rekha we see these days."

Reflecting on their reconciliation, he shared, "It was none other than my better half Shrimati Poonam Sinha. You see, Rekha and she were close friends. And so my so-called cold war with Rekha was causing difficulties in my wife’s friendship with Rekha. She patched us up for her own selfish reason and I happily agreed to let bygones be bygones."

"I did make digs about her. I shouldn’t have. To her credit, Rekha never retaliated. She is a very large-hearted generous woman… How old is the one-and-only Rekha? Has she really crossed 60? Hard to believe, she is so well-maintained. Rekha is a timeless beauty, and matchless. So many have copied her style but Rekha remains Rekha. Unique, no one quite like her," Shatrughan Sinha continued.

The pair first worked together in the film Dost Aur Dushman, where Sinha had a guest role, and later, in Do Yaar, they came back to work together.

"Rekha and I did a number of films together. I think the first time we worked together was in Dost Aur Dushman where I had a guest appearance. Then came Do Yaar where she was the heroine and I was the bad quy. "

When asked about their current relationship, he responded, "We share a long history together. I am her senior, both in age and experience. She respects me, and is very close to my wife, Poonam."

When asked which leading man she was best paired with, Shatrughan Sinha replied, "I know the name you're expecting, but if you ask me, her best co-star is none other than Shatrughan Sinha."

Rekha went on to star in iconic films such as Umrao Jaan, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Khoobsurat, Silsila, Khoon Bhari Mang, and Adarsh, among others. She also received numerous accolades, including a National Award for her role in Umrao Jaan.