‘There Is Divine Hand Behind Something As Flawless As Umrao Jaan’
The legendary Rekha remains self-effacing ahead of the film’s re-release
Rekha remains as elusive as ever. Friday June 27 is a big day for her, as her best-known work Umrao Jaan re-releases in movie theatres across the country. However, Rekha is not seen promoting the film. She remains rather self-effacing about the film’s many virtues, especially her own contribution to it, although she won a National award for her performance.
Says Rekha, “I don’t think I did anything great in Umrao Jaan. I can’t remember a single shot of the film. It is the kind of cinema that just happens. There is a divine hand behind something as flawless as this. I am not being modest when I say I had nothing to do with its success. I just followed the director (Muzaffar Ali)’s instructions ”
The elusive diva credits the music and songs of Umrao Jaan for its success. “Khayyam Saab’s compositions, Ashatai (Bhosle)’s singing, Shahryar’s poetry…mujhe toh kuch bhi nahin karna tha (I had to do nothing).”