Having acted in more than 150 films, she made her presence felt with her versatility and different avatars in films like "Do Anjaane" (1976), "Ghar" (1978), "Muqaddar Ka Sikander" (1978), "Khubsoorat" (1980), "Silsila" (1981), "Baseraa" (1981), "Utsav" (1984), "Khoon Bhari Maang" (1988), "Ijaazat" (1988), "Kama Sutra" (1996) and "Zubeidaa" (2001) to name a few.

Last seen in a cameo for Shah Rukh Khan-starrer "Om Shanti Om" (2007), industry insiders have often spoken of Rekha as a "capable, disciplined actress with immense range, ability and mastery of precise detail".

"Rekha is nearest to the parallel of Swedish actress Greta Garbo... they both came from poor backgrounds and climbed great heights... As an artist she was first noticed in 'Ghar' and after that she was no more termed as only a voluptuous artist in Hindi cinema because then came films like 'Khubsoorat' and 'Umrao Jaan' that set her apart," said noted film historian Gautam Kaul.