Amitabh turned 76 on October 11 and Rekha turned 64 on October 10, 2018. A look at the two living legends through the Libra lens.
I am not a staunch believer in sun signs, but I enjoy reading Linda Goodman’s wittily written books on the subject as I sometimes discover startling correlations between the people I know and the supposed characteristics of their zodiac sign. Since it is the month of the Libran, I decided to put Amitabh and Rekha to the Libra test and find out how close they are to Linda Goodman’s assessment of Librans.
Linda Goodman |
Linda Goodman: Librans are good-natured and pleasant, but they can also be sulky.
At most times, I have been fortunate to witness Bachchan’s pleasant, unfailingly polite self; he agreed to release two of my books without any demurring. But on two rare instances I have seen Amitabh slip into a sulk. One, when I got one-time rivals Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh together after 17 years for a Movie magazine photoshoot — however, it lasted only till I broke the ice between them by ordering wine from the Centaur Hotel room service. On the other occasion, when I questioned him about why he chose a bad comeback film like Mrityudaata, he glumly refused to acknowledge both his superstardom and his being perturbed by the reaction to the film. But, by and large, Amitabh’s amicability and charm has been his most enduring and endearing quality.
I have not seen Rekha sulk; on the contrary I was sulking with her after she denied a quote she had given to me on tape. But we made up spontaneously when we bumped into each other at a photographer friend’s studio and we laughed away our differences.
LG: The women are almost invariably pretty, and the men are usually handsome.
Rekha is a photographer’s delight — Gautam Rajadhyaksha swore by her, Jagdish Mali and Jayesh Sheth considered her their favourite muse and Rakesh Shrestha couldn’t shoot enough of her. Rekha morphed from the teenager whom an unkind co-star described as ‘kaali and moti’ to a sylph-like siren, a peerless Umrao Jaan, and even today is a showstopper when she enters an event in her kanjeevaram sari with a gajra neatly pinned in her hair.
Amitabh was labelled lambu and considered too lanky when he made his unimpressive debut with Saat Hindustani, but with the help of hairstylist Hakim and costume stylist Kachins, was able to burnish his looks and emerge as a trendsetter with his long sideburns, open shirts and kurta-pyjama-shawl ensembles. In his 70s, the personable star still exudes style.
LG: First they’ll talk up a storm and monopolise the conversation. Then they’ll listen intently with flattering interest.
Rekha epitomises this observation. In an interview that spanned three evenings at her Sea Bird, Bandra, office, she spoke her heart out, yet also seemed as curious about me as I was about her. But Amitabh hasn’t inherited this Libran trait; while he keeps you entertained with terse, well-known chosen utterances, he can hardly be said to monopolise the conversation. However, he is a very sharp listener and, in an affable mood, can amaze you with his insightful and detailed perceptions.
LG: An instinct for sanity keeps most Librans mentally healthy and physically fit.
Despite a life-threatening accident on the sets of Coolie that led to a prolonged stay in Breach Candy Hospital and an unfortunate tryst with a rare muscle disease, myasthenia gravis, Amitabh has risen time and again like a Phoenix from the ashes. I have seen him nibble at blandly cooked vegetables and crisp crackers in his vanity van without flinching. It is this discipline and mental strength that helps him remain relevant professionally. Rekha was a regular at the yoga classes with Rama Bans in the ’80s and even today eats and sleeps early. After slimming down in the late ’70s, she may have added or lost a few pounds, but she has made sure she didn’t revert to being as overweight as she was in her debut film, Sawan Bhadon.
LG: Most Librans have a fantastic ability to concentrate and to ponder deep subjects. You’re almost sure to find an extensive library in every Libran home.
Had Rekha not been an actress, she could have been a philosopher or dabbled in Humanities studies. For someone who is not an avid reader, she astonishes you by spouting thought-provoking quotes by the minute. Amitabh has an extensive library at home and I am proud to add I have seen my books, The Hundred Luminaries Of Hindi Cinema and Indian Cinema: The Bollywood Saga displayed in it. He often peppers his conversation with famous lines from his father Harivanshrai Bachchan’s creations, including the epic poem, Madhushala.
The quality I treasure most about these Librans, based on my extensive interactions with them, is their unwavering affection and politeness throughout my long career. Here’s wishing these two Librans a very happy birthday.
