2. Silsila (1981)

This was a slice-of-life movie for the legendary actress as the movie has been rumoured to be inspired from her real life. Looking a million bucks in ‘Silsila’, Rekha won hearts with her powerful performance.

4. Khoobsurat (1980)

The free spirited Manju could be played by nobody else other than Rekha. Her comic timing in this Hrishikesh Mukherjee directorial is worth watching out.

Rekha’s career prospects began to improve significantly after this movie, as leading filmmakers had started taking more notice of her and become more keen to cast her in their films.

5. Ghar (1978)

‘Aaj Kal Paaon Zameen Par Nahin Padtey Mere,’ the song instantly reminds of a youthful Rekha dreamily singing to her beloved. Depicting the aftermath of assault and rape on a woman and hence, a married couple, the movie was singled out to be one of Rekha’s top performances.

6. Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978)

Rekha first played the role of a courtesan in this 1978 release, opposite Amitabh Bachchan. Her smoldering intensity as Zohra Bai and selfless love for Sikandar(played by Amitabh Bachchan) pushed her yards farther than her contemporaries.

3. Khoon Bhari Maang (1988)

This movie served as a comeback for the actress and that too, an impactful one. An almost first of its kind, the movie proved that with a strong script and an actress like Rekha, you don’t really need a male superstar to make a hit film.

Rekha was flawless in the first half as the shy and not-so-sexy Aarti and after the resurrection and makeover as the femme fatale she is excellent too.

7. Phool Bane Angaaray (1991)

Portraying a young woman who joins the police to avenge her husband’s death, Rekha made a lasting impact with this peformance of hers. Also, with this movie, Rekha had become one of the flag-bearers of female centric movies in that era.

8. Mr Natwarlal (1979)

Another superhit opposite megastar Amitabh Bachchan made the duo one of the most sought-after pairs in the Hindi film industry.

9. Utsav (1984)

Starring Rekha and Shekhar Suman, ‘Utsav’ was ahead of its times in many ways. The boldness and sensuality shown in the movie was first of its kind and catapulted the lead stars to instant success.

10. Ijaazat (1987)

Rekha’s 1987 release saw her play Naseeruddin Shah’s wife who, when his ex-lover enters their life, leaves him only to find that she has misunderstood him. Rekha’s mature performance is still appreciated among the cinegoers.