Decades before gossip columns became digital and celebrity news flooded social media, a hush-hush affair between two of Indian cinema’s biggest stars became the stuff of whispers, headlines, and one unforgettable hotel scene. The actors in question? Rekha and Kamal Haasan. But contrary to what many might assume, this story doesn’t involve Amitabh Bachchan. (News18 Hindi)
The year was 1981. Rekha was at the peak of her career, fresh off the buzz around her role in ‘Silsila’, while Kamal Haasan was cementing his position as a pan-India superstar. The two signed a Tamil film together, ‘Meendum Kokila’, also starring Sridevi; and that’s when, according to reports, sparks flew. (News18 Hindi)
What began as on-screen chemistry allegedly evolved into a real-life closeness that sent ripples through the actor’s marriage. At the time, Kamal Haasan was married to classical dancer Vani Ganapathy, whom he had wed in 1978. Their relationship was already strained, and rumours of the Rekha affair only added fuel to the fire. (News18 Hindi)
Things came to a head when, as one journalist recalled years later on Rediff, Vani Ganapathy allegedly caught Kamal and Rekha together in a Chennai hotel. “In late 1979, I was working at the Hotel Chola Sheraton in Chennai. One night, when I reported for work, I found the place in a tizzy. As the girls in reception told the story, Kamal Haasan and Rekha Ganesan were in the latter’s room in the hotel when Kamal’s then-wife Vani Ganapathy arrived and gave her husband a public dressing-down,” the journalist claimed. (News18 Hindi)
Following the incident, Rekha was reportedly dropped from ‘Meendum Kokila’ and replaced by Malayalam actress Deepa (Unni Mary). While no one involved has ever confirmed or denied the incident publicly, the rumour has lived on in film folklore. (News18 Hindi)
Kamal’s marriage with Vani eventually collapsed, and the two divorced in 1988. By then, the actor had moved on. (News18 Hindi)
After the separation from Vani, Kamal fell in love again — this time with actress Sarika, reportedly during the filming of ‘Raja Paarvai’. Sarika is said to have become pregnant before the two married in 1988, the same year he legally ended his first marriage. (News18 Hindi)
Kamal and Sarika had two daughters, Shruti and Akshara, both of whom have followed their parents into the entertainment industry. But like his first marriage, this one, too, ended in divorce in 2004. (News18 Hindi)
As for Rekha, she has never spoken about the alleged Kamal Haasan chapter. Known for her enigmatic personal life, she has always maintained silence about the many high-profile romances attributed to her. (News18 Hindi)
