Veteran actor and politician Hema Malini extended birthday wishes to her longtime friend and fellow actress Rekha on Saturday, sharing pictures of the two stars and wishing her happiness, good health and prosperity.
Hema, popularly known as Bollywood’s “Dream Girl”, took to social media to mark Rekha’s birthday with a warm message celebrating their enduring bond.
Sharing a picture in which the veteran actresses pose closely together and smile at the camera, Hema wrote, “Happy birthday dear Rekha God bless you always with joy, good health and prosperity.”
The two actresses have known each other since their younger days and have shared screen space in several films over the course of their careers.
Hema had previously recalled their early association during an episode of the singing reality show Indian Idol. She revealed that they knew each other long before Rekha became a prominent name in Hindi cinema.
Recalling their time in Chennai, Hema said she was learning Bharatanatyam and had also begun training in Kuchipudi under renowned dance guru Vempati Chinna Satyam. Rekha, who was much younger at the time, also attended the dance classes.
Hema remembered Rekha as a lively child who would sometimes run away from dance rehearsals, prompting their guru to complain about the difficulty of getting her back to practice.
She also recalled an early stage performance in which Rekha played Narad Muni in a Kuchipudi dance ballet based on the story of Krishna, Rukmini and Satyabhama. Hema said Rekha looked adorable in the costume and performed wonderfully.
Hema further shared that their mothers, Pushpavalli and Jaya Chakravarty, had the same birthday, January 3, and that the families would celebrate the occasion together.
Their film collaborations include Gora Aur Kala, Kahte Hain Mujhko Raja, Dharmatma, Apne Apne and Jaan Hatheli Pe.