Her glamorous persona still has men gawking. Bollywood actress Rekha, who turns 55 Saturday, metamorphosed into a diva from the overweight young actress she once was and inspires the current league of actresses.
"She is a dreamer... she lives in her own world. She imagines a lot of things that suit her psyche as an actor. She is a very genuine, warm and a very sensitive person... And no denying the fact a very good learner. It has been an amazing experience to work with her; she is a perfect actress," Muzaffar Ali told IANS.

"Post-'Umrao Jaan', she has kind of withdrawn herself... perhaps because that role was a very cerebral, cultural and classical one that raised her to a pedestal that cannot be surpassed ever... not by her or by anyone else," he added.

Daughter of southern star Gemini Ganesan, Rekha bagged overnight success with her debut vehicle "Sawan Bhadon" (1970) and gradually became India's sex symbol. What catapulted her to the Bollywood zenith was Muzaffar Ali's period drama "Umrao Jaan" (1981) that even won her a National Award.