When Rekha opened up about her relationship with father Gemini Ganesan

Rekha and her father Gemini Ganesan are two of the most iconic figures in Indian cinema. But, in an old interview, the actress revealed that the two of them did not have a rosy relationship. Read on…

Written by S Devasankar , Journalist

Published on Oct 04, 2023 | 10:43 PM IST | 759K

Throwback: When Rekha talked about how her father never noticed her

When Rekha opened up about her relationship with father Gemini Ganesan

Rekha is one of the most iconic names in Indian cinema. Having featured in close to 200 films, the actress is known for her versatility, and her ability to breathe life into the roles. Her father Gemini Ganesan was no different. Gemini Ganesan was considered to be one of the three biggest names in Tamil cinema, the other two being M.G. Ramachandran and Sivaji Ganesan. In fact, he was known as ‘Kaadhal Mannan’, which literally translates to ‘the king of romance’.But, in an old interview with Simi Garewal, the Asha Jyoti actress revealed that during her childhood her father barely noticed her.

Rekha opens up about her childhood

Rekha was born to actors Gemini Ganesan and Pushpavalli on 10th October, 1954. Although the Parthiban Kanavu actor has got married four times, he never really lived with Rekha and her mother. In fact, he left them and moved out when she was just a baby. Rekha was forced to quit studies and turn to acting when she was in the 9th grade, due to financial difficulties in the family.

When asked about her childhood, Rekha revealed that she had a wonderful childhood, and said she had a ‘romantic’ relationship with her parents. She further clarified saying:

“Anything filled with romance is not easy. I was a baby when he moved out of our lives. I don’t even remember the time when he was at home.” She also added that her mother was “dizzy and drunk in love” with her father.

Rekha revealed that her father had a lot of children, and that’s why she feels he never noticed her. She said that all of them went to the same school, and the Avvai Shanmugi actor would sometimes show up to drop the other kids. She said that that was her first impression of her father, but never had a chance to meet him.

“I don’t think even he noticed me there. He never saw me.” she said.

The relationship between the two was clearly not rosy, and neither did it get mended over time. In fact, Rekha did not even show up at Gemini Ganesan’s funeral in 2005.

About Rekha

Rekha is considered to be one of the finest actresses in Indian cinema. She was known for the glamor and charm that she brought to her characters, and her ability to convey a plethora of emotions effortlessly. She reached her peak during the 70s and 80s, and saw a decline in the number of films since the 90s. Although she still appears in films, the instances are rare.

About Gemini Ganesan

Gemini Ganesan is known as the king of romance in Tamil cinema. He had the innate ability to evoke love and romance, and convey them to the audience like no other. What set Ganesan apart from other lead actors of the time was that he did not come from a theater background, and so the emotions that he showed were considered to be much more natural. In a career spanning almost 50 years, Ganesan has acted in over 200 films.

ALSO READ: Did you know Sivaji Ganesan shared sibling bond with Lata Mangeshkar and built a bungalow for her