In 1988, she starred as an avenger in "Khoon Bhari Maang", for which she won a second Best Actress award at Filmfare. Her work was much less frequent in subsequent decades. Her early roles in the 1990s mostly met with lukewarm reviews. In 1996, she took a negative turn of an underworld don in the action thriller "Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi" (1996), for which won a third Filmfare Award in the Best Supporting Actress category, and a year later appeared in "" and "Aastha" to critical acclaim but some public scrutiny. During the 2000s, she was praised for her supporting roles in the 2001 dramas "Zubeidaa" and "Lajja", and started playing mother roles, among which was her role in the science fiction "Koi Mil Gaya" (2003) and its superhero sequel "Krrish" (2006), both blockbusters. In 2010, she was honoured with the Padma Shri by the Government of India. Rekha's private life and public image have been the subject of frequent media interest and discussion. Her only marriage to Mukesh Aggarwal in 1990 ended a year later with his death. Her pairing opposite Amitabh Bachchan starting in the 1970s in a number of successful films was accompanied by speculation about a love affair between the two, which culminated in their starring film "Silsila" (1981), reflective of media projections. Her public image has often been tied to her perceived sex appeal. Rekha is reluctant to give interviews or discuss her life, which resulted in her being labelled a recluse. Rekha was born in Madras on to Tamil actor Gemini Ganesan and Telugu actress Pushpavalli. Her father did not acknowledge his paternity during her childhood. Rekha has a sister, one half-brother and five half-sisters. It was in early 1970s, when she was looking for a footing in Bollywood, that she revealed her origins. Later, at the peak of her career, Rekha told a magazine interviewer that her father's neglect still rankled and that she had ignored his efforts at reconciliation. Her mother tongue is Telugu, although she has stated that she thinks in English. Rekha attended Church Park convent school Tamil Nadu. At the age of 13, she quit school to start a career in acting. She did not have any personal aspirations in this direction, but the troubled financial state of her family compelled her to do so.