Saira Banu Wishes Rekha on Birthday, Recalls Fond Memories from Their Filmistan Days

Veteran actress Saira Banu wished Rekha on her birthday by revisiting cherished memories of their time at Filmistan, sharing throwback photographs featuring the celebrated actress alongside herself and her late husband, legendary actor Dilip Kumar.

In a social media post on Saturday, Saira Banu recalled how Rekha would often visit her makeup room while they were shooting on neighbouring sets. She also praised Rekha’s individuality and enduring contribution to Indian cinema.

Wishing the actress on her special day, Saira Banu wrote, “Happy Birthday, my dear Rekha! There is something very special about certain artistes who, beyond all the glamour and adulation that surrounds them, remain true to the very essence of who they are. Rekha, you have always held that rare quality, a beautiful individuality that has made you an unforgettable part of our cinematic heritage.”

Reflecting on their long association, Saira Banu said their relationship went back many years and that they had found more opportunities to get to know each other better with time.

“Ours has been a relationship that goes back many, many years, and it is lovely to see how, with the passage of time and a little more leisure at our disposal, we have found ourselves getting to know each other better,” she wrote.

Saira Banu then recalled their days at Filmistan, where she would shoot on one set while Rekha worked on another nearby.

She remembered Rekha frequently dropping into her makeup room, where makeup artiste Dinu Endulkar, whom she described as exceptionally gifted and trained by a British makeup expert, would work on her look.

Rekha would watch closely as Endulkar did Saira Banu’s eye makeup and express her wish to recreate the look herself.

“She would sit on the sofa, watching him work on my eyes, and say to me, ‘Saira Ji, I want to copy these eyes the way Dinu does them for you!’ I can still picture her sitting there, observing every little detail with such interest,” Saira Banu recalled.

The veteran actress also spoke warmly about Rekha’s admiration for her mother, praising the younger actress for appreciating not just her mother’s beauty but also her grace, demeanour and manner.

“She admired her exquisite visage and the grace with which she carried herself. It has always touched me that she appreciated not merely my mother’s beauty, but also her bearing and her manner,” Saira Banu wrote.

Concluding her birthday message, Saira Banu expressed her own deep admiration for Rekha, saying her affection and appreciation for the actress had always been equally heartfelt.