New Delhi: Rekha, a prominent actress, relocated to Mumbai from Chennai in 1969. Her debut film, ‘Anjana Safar,’ was directed by Kuljeet Pal when she was just 15 years old. According to Yasser Usman’s biography, ‘Rekha: The Untold Story,’ Kuljeet was a businessman from Nairobi who traveled to Bombay (now Mumbai) to produce the film.
When his second film, ‘Galliyon Ka Raja,’ featuring Rajkumar, Mumtaz, and Hema Malini, faced production issues due to conflicts involving the cast and director, Kuljeet traveled to Madras (now Chennai) in search of a new lead for his upcoming project, ultimately meeting Rekha.
Although suggested to cast South Indian actress Vanishree, Kuljeet first encountered Rekha while she was seated in a studio, enjoying a meal. He learned that she was working as a secondary lead in a project alongside Vanishree. Upon discovering that Rekha was the daughter of legendary actress Pushpavalli, Kuljeet expressed his keen interest in casting her.
During their meeting, Kuljeet asked Rekha if she spoke Hindi. She responded negatively, but her mother, Pushpavalli, assured him of Rekha’s quick learning abilities. Following this, Kuljeet provided Rekha with some Hindi lines, which she memorized and delivered fluently, thus securing her a role opposite Biswajit Chatterjee in the film.
Rekha initially stayed in room 115 at the Ajanta Hotel in Juhu, managing her own expenses during the filming process. Around this time, Kuljeet signed Rekha for a total of eight films—four with himself and four with his brother Shatrughan Pal. For ‘Anjana Safar,’ she was compensated ₹25,000, with a promise of a ₹25,000 increase following each successful project. Remarkably, within a month of the first shot for ‘Anjana Safar,’ the 15-year-old Rekha had signed three additional films: ‘Mehmaan,’ ‘Hasino Ka Devta,’ and ‘Sawan Bhadon.’
The film ‘Anjana Safar’ was released a decade later, on August 7, 1969, under a revised title, ‘Do Shikari.’ The film’s release was delayed partly due to a kiss scene between Rekha and Biswajit requiring approval from the censor board. Although it received clearance in 1979, the film ultimately flopped at the box office.
