“Removed Me From…”: Aruna Irani's Shocking Allegation Against Rekha
Aruna Irani recently recalled how she was signed as the second lead in ‘Mangulsutra’, but her “good friend” Rekha got her removed from the film.
Veteran Indian actress Aruna Irani was a popular star back in the day as she featured in several films in the 80s and 90s where she played supporting roles. Speaking in a new interview with Lehren Retro, the 78-year-old actress recalled the story of being cast as the second lead in the film ‘Mangulsutra’ and how her “good friend” Rekha got her removed from the project. She further stated that Rekha got her scenes cut in another film as well, which performed decently well at the box office.
Aruna recalled working with Rekha in the movie ‘Aurat Aurat Aurat’ and said, “Producers ki wajah se picture bante bante 6 saal lag gaye. Mera bhut accha role tha, central character tha. Anybody would pray for that kind of a role. Fir kaafi logon ki wajah se kaat dena pada. Rekha ji humari, voh dene hi nahi deti thi, ki nahi Aruna ka role bhut accha hai.”
“Rekha removed me from a film even though she was a good friend of mine. She still is. But when she took me out of a film called Mangalsutra, I asked the producer, 'Why did you remove me even after giving me the signing amount?' He said, 'Rekha ji never wanted you in the film.' When I asked Rekha why she did it, she said, 'Aruna, if you pulled off the role too well emotionally, I’ll start looking like a vamp in the film.' So she cut me off,” she added.
For the unversed, ‘Mangulsutra’ starred Rekha, Anant Nag and Prema Narayan in the lead roles. The movie dealt with the issues of marital values, sacrifice, and societal expectations around the bond of marriage.
Speaking of Aruna Irani, she is a celebrated Indian actress, who is known for her work across Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, and Kannada cinema.
Her career spans over five decades and she has acted in more than 500 films. She first gained prominence in the 1970s and '80s with notable performances in films like 'Bobby', 'Sargam', 'Suhaag', and 'Beta'.
She also ventured into television and became a successful producer and director.
