Rekha is a well known South Indian Film actress who has acted in lead roles of large number of Malayalam and Tamil films during the period 1986-96.At present she is acting mostly in character roles.
Her real name is Josephine and was born on 18th May 1970 in Kerala and had her studies at Ootty in Tamil Nadu.
She acted as female lead of Tamil film Kadalora Kavithaigal in 1986 opposite Sathyaraj which was directed by P.Bharathiraja.The film became a super hit and the new heroine rose to fame instantly.
In the same year she acted in the Tamil film ‘Punnagasi Mannan‘ directed by K.Balachander and the role as ex-lover of Kamal Hassan’s character helped her to get established in Tamil Cinema.Kamal Hassan,Revathy,Srividya,and Rekha acted in prime roles of this movie.
Enga Ooru Pattukaran(87) was a film directed by Gangai Amaran in which Rekha and Ramarajan acted in main roles which became a huge hit.Shantipriya,Senthamarai,Senthil etc were the other actors of this film.
Rasave Unnai Nambi was another hit film in which Rekha and Ramarajan were the main leads and was directed by K.J.Bose in 1988.Ramarajan,Tekha,Saritha,Poornam Viswanathan,Malaysia Vasudevan etc acted in it.
In the year 1989 she acted as the heroine of ‘Ramji Rao Speaking’ a Malayalam film along with Sai Kumar,Mukesh,Innocent,Mamukoya,Sukumari,Devan,Sankaradi,Vijayaraghavan,Kunchan etc which became a blockbuster hit.This comedy thriller film was directed by Siddique-Lal.
In the year 1989 she proved her acting skill by playing the lead role of ‘Dasaratham’ a Malayalam film opposite Mohan Lal directed by Sibi Malayil.Mohan Lal,Rekha,Murali,Nedumudi Venu,Sukumaran,Sukumari,Kaviyoor Ponnama etc acted in it.The film handled the theme of artificial insemination but projected the mother-child attachment of immense love.The movie written by Lohithadas had several sentimental and emotive scenes.The film was a critical and commercial success.
In the year 1990 ‘Aye Auto‘ directed by Venu Nagavally turned to be a blockbuster hit film.Mohan Lal acted as ‘Sudhi’, a poor auto-rickshaw driver and Rekha acted as ‘Meenakshi’, the granddaughter of a rich banker Krishna Pillai.Mohan Lal,Rekha,Thikkurissi,Sukumari,Murali,Maniyanpilla Raju,Ganesh Kumar,Sreenivasan,Kunchan etc acted in it.
Tamil film ‘Guna’ was a critically acclaimed film of 1991 in which Kamal Hassan,Roshini,Rekha,S.P.Balasubramanyam,Sharat Saxena,Girish Karnad etc acted.
In the film ‘Kaalam Mari Pochu‘ of 1996 directed by V.Sekhar Pandiarajan,Sangita,Vadivelu,Kovai Sarala,R.Sundara Rajan and Rekha acted in lead roles.This film was remade in Malayalam as ‘Arjunan Pillayum Anchu Makkalum’.
In the Malayalam film‘Sundari Kakka’ of 1991 she acted in the female lead role.
In the film ‘Pavam Pavam Rajakumaran‘ released in 1990 Sreenivasan and Rekha were the main pair.A parallel college teacher ‘Gopalakrishnan’ was foold by his friends by making him believe that a beautiful girl was in love with him but that girl was actually unaware of these pranks.The film was directed by Kamal and became a huge hit.
In the film ‘Adayalam‘ produced by Janardhanan and directed by K.Madhu, Mammootty and Rekha played the prime roles.
In the year 1991 Mohan Lal and Rekha portrayed the main roles of the film‘Kizhakkunarunna Pakshi’ which handled the life of music directors, singers etc.Venu Nagavally was the director.Mohal Lal,Rekha,Shankar,Murali,Jagathy,Innocent etc acted in it.
In the 2007 film ‘Ivar Vivahitharayal’ directed by Saji Srendran, she acted along with Jayasoorya,Bhama etc in the role as Advocate Nandini.
In the year 2012 she acted in the Telugu film ‘Money Money More Money’ in the character role as Geetha Madhury.
In 2013 she acted along with Vijay,Amala Paul,Sathyaraj etc in the Tamil film‘Thalaiva’.
She portrayed a mother role in the film ‘Bangalore Days‘ directed by Anjali Menon in 2014.
Selected Filmography
Tamil
Kadalora Kavithaigal
Punnagai Mannan
Katha Nayagan
En Bommakutty Ammavukku
Kavalan Avan Kovalan
Enga Ooru Pattukaran
Rasave Unnai Nambi
Pattukku Nan Adimai
Varavu Nalla Uravu
Ninave Oru Sangeetham
Pillaikaga
Puriyadha Pudhir
Gunaa
Annamalai
Kalam Mari Pochu
Kovil
DasavatharamUthama Puthiran
Thalaivaa
Malayalam
Vazhiyorakazhchakal
Dasaratham
Ramji Rao Speaking
Oliampukal
Aey Auto
In Harihar Nagar
Lal Salam
Pavam Pavam Rajakumaran
Sundari Kakka
Adayalam
Nettipattam
Janam
Sarovaram
Manathe Vellitheru
Kidilolkidilam
Samoohyapadom
Udayon
Naran
Chinthamany Kolacase
Prajapathi
Avan Chandiyude Makan
Ivar Vivahitharayal
2 Harihar Nagar
My Boss
Asuravithu
Annum Innum Ennum
Bangalore Days
