Rekha opens up about ‘her colleagues being long forgotten by new generation’ of actors and why she doesn’t appear in public often

Rekha in `Umrao Jaan`

In a rare public appearance, Rekha recently engaged in a glorious Oriental-esque photoshoot and conversation with Vogue Arabia. The veteran actress was thoroughly immersed in co-creating the editorial - from communicating her vision for the theme of the photoshoot to being involved in the outfit design. In the interview, Rekha spoke more about what she thinks about the recent influx of stars in Indian cinema, her childhood and how her mother encouraged her to live a life steeped in art and elegance.

The actress opened up about the new generation of talent in the industry and said she feels grateful how they "resonate" with her when so many of her colleagues "have been long forgotten by this new generation."

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In her profile for Vogue, Rekha spoke about how the younger generation of actors are also aware of how she works. Even when her projects now are far and few between, she believed the new crop of actors appreciated her work ethic and the thought behind every creative endeavour she undertakes.

"Today there is an avalanche of young talent with extraordinary skills and I am thoroughly impressed by their debut performances. And it gives me great pleasure that I am here to witness their rise. It is also incredibly heartening to see how they resonate with me when so many of my colleagues have been long forgotten by this new generation. They recognize that the work I do now, very sparingly, is still done with a sense of great reverence for the craft, with gratitude, and absolute love," she said.

Rekha's elegant rise to the top is littered with hits and movies ahead of their time, but perhaps two iconic ones are Umrao Jaan and Utsav. Coincidentally, she plays a courtesan skilled in the arts in both of them. In the interview, Rekha also talked about her long-standing affinity with the arts.

"My mother taught me by just the way she lived and created a home that was very sensorial. I was immersed in her world of Sufi music, Urdu shayari (poems), Chettinad art, and South Indian culture that I imbibed subliminally," says Rekha. "She lived without synthetics, plastics, and wore pure organic fabrics because everything she touched was sacred to her. This sense of adoration for the aesthete has never left me."

Having not accepted any acting role since 2014, Rekha said that she will only take up projects that satiate her soul. She also acknowledged that she has the luxury to turn roles down, she said she is a "joyful and fulfilled recluse" and will appear in public only when she is dictated by her "flow of instinct. I am so blessed to have earned the right to choose what I love. And to have the luxury to simply say no. This keeps my soul alert," she said.