I’m not so naive as to believe in love any more: Rekha

Mumbai: Rekha turns a year older…or was it younger?…on October 10. The ageless diva gets more and reclusive as she moves ahead in her life.

“It isn’t as if I don’t want to reach out to people…of course I do. I’m a normal healthy woman. But to me, reaching out to people, making demands over their time and attention is an encroachment. I’d rather connect once in while. That’s enough to keep me going.”

Rekha and 61? Sounds incongruous but she shoots back, “Why? Are you in denial? I’m not. I’ve accepted everything in life. My mother taught me to take everything in life from age to criticism with humility. You’ve to have the confidence to carry your age without self consciousness. I’m proud even of that wrinkle which appears on my face. It’s a symbol of all that life has taught me for years. Aging is so inevitable. All the choices I’ve made, all the people I’ve met, all the hurt and all the happiness… they’ve all carved every contour on my face. And I’m proud of them all.”

Such beauty can only mean a life well lived. She said, “Don’t be too sure. Besides I don’t give that much importance to physical beauty. My looks are only a small part of my personality. Looks are just a reflection of who you are from within. No amount of expensive saris, diamonds and makeup cannot make you look beautiful unless you at peace inside. Lots of wordly wrongs have happened to me but I didn’t wallow in them and let them effect me in a negative way. Everyday I go through the bad and the good. There’s an angel and devil within me. It’s up to us to choose who rules our lives. We all have a choice in life. We can make something positive happen in every situation. That’s the key to my life. I’m always asked why I’m so calm all the time, is it a façade? I agree I’m a great actor on screen. But no one can live a lifetime of lies. I don’t believe in living a lie. But I know a lot of people think I live a lie. If that’s how they feel about me, so be it.”

She has always seemed to be a woman in love with love. But now Rekha has moved on to a new level of mellow maturity. Today love has a different meaning for her. Sighing deeply the diva says, “I’m not so naïve as to believe in love any more. It’s delusional to expect love from others. When you’ve so much of it within you why would you want it from anyone? I’m not someone who chases illusions. I wake up every morning and smell the coffee.”

Today she has no expectations from anyone. “I don’t believe in getting love, I only believe in giving love. Because I’m love personified. I expect nothing from anyone else. I only have expectations from myself. I’ve huge huge dreams and aspirations for myself.”

It’s said that at one time she was so much in love she would abandon her work to pursue the call of her heart.

No more! “I guess I was indifferent in dozens of my films. But love was never the reason.” She now thinks love is an illusion. “I don’t need anyone or anything. I only need to recognize my flaws, not repeat my mistakes and try to better myself. That’s my constant endeavour.”

And what are her dreams at the moment? “Everything. I’m born at this very moment. I’ve a whole lifetime of dreams ahead. Every day I try to make my dreams come true. And they often do.”