Meet Pushpavalli acclaimed actress and Rekha’s mother
Pushpavalli, famed actress and mother of a veteran actor, rose from Andhra Pradesh to stardom, faced personal struggles, and inspired her daughter’s iconic Bollywood journey
At the heels of the bedazzling lights of the silver screen often ruse stories of struggle, sacrifice and heartbreak. One such story belongs to Kandala Venkata Pushpavalli Tayaru, better recognized film audiences as Pushpavalli – a celebrated actress of the 1940s and 50s, and the mother of the stunning Diva of Bollywood, Rekha.
Andhra Pradesh born Pushpavalli was attracted to the glittering world of entertainment industry at a tender age. At just 12, she portrayed Sita in Sampoorna Ramayanam released in 1936, a film that earned her a fee of Rs 300, a princely sum at the time, surpassing even the male lead’s earnings. (
Her career gained momentum with the incredibly successful film Bala Nagamma released in 1942 and she firmly solidified herself with the 1947 film Miss Malini.
Reportedly, for nearly two decades, she worked at Gemini Studios, featuring in Telugu, Tamil and Hindi films.
Even as her professional life saw stability, her personal life was riddled with turbulence. Married young to lawyer IV Rangachari, with whom she had two children, the bond soon fell apart. It was in the midst of making of Miss Malini that she met actor Gemini Ganesan. Ganesan, already married and a father of six. He fell in love with Pushpavalli, and the two became friends.
Though they never married, they lived together and had two daughters, Rekha and Radha. For the rest of her life, Pushpavalli carried the stigma of being in a relationship outside wedlock, a reality that meant she could never publicly acknowledge Ganesan as her husband. She passed away in 1991.
In total disregard to personal trials, Pushpavalli remained committed to her family. She shouldered household responsibilities from a young age, and when the time came, introduced her daughter Rekha to cinema. Like her mother, Rekha entered the industry at the age of 12 with the Telugu film Rangula Ratnam. (
At just 15, she moved to Bollywood with “Anjana Safar” (later released as Do Shikari). From there began her incredible journey, one that transformed her into one of Hindi cinema’s most iconic heroines.
Yet, echoes of her mother’s fate seemed to follow Rekha. Regardless her personal life marked by unfulfilled relationships and an unsuccessful marriage to Delhi businessman Mukesh Agarwal. Rekha, like Pushpavalli, remains unmarried, residing in Mumbai with her close aide.
Pushpavalli acted in over 10 films alongside NT Rama Rao Sr, and her life was briefly portrayed in the film Mahanati, where actor Bindu Chandramouli played her role.
Though much of her story never made it to the final cut, deleted scenes later found their way to audiences online, sparking renewed interest in the actress who lived a life both celebrated and controversial.
In reminiscing Pushpavalli, one recalls not just the actress who lit up Hindi cinema’s early years, but also the woman who endured society’s harsh gaze while raising two daughters, one of whom went on to redefine stardom in Indian cinema, Rekha.
News Edit KV Raman
