Eurekha!

1999 biography of Rekha by Mohan Deep

Eurekha!

Author| Mohan Deep
Language| English
Subject| Rekha
Genre| Biography
Published| 17 December 1999
Publisher| Shivani Publications
Publication place| India
Media type| Print
Pages| 284
ISBN| 978-81-90107-90-7

Eurekha! is a biography of the actress Rekha by the columnist and author Mohan Deep. The book details her Bollywood acting career and her short-term marriage with the industrialist Mukesh Aggarwal. It was published on 17 December 1999 by Shivani Publications and later reprinted in a number of Indian languages, including a serialisation in the magazine Anandalok. It received negative reviews from critics, who panned Deep's writing and the book's contents. Rekha herself was critical of the book due to its misinformation.

## Synopsis

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Eurekha! is out of print.[1] It examines Rekha's acting career in Bollywood beginning at age 13 and her marriage to the industrialist Mukesh Aggarwal.[2] A thirteenth chapter of the book, titled "Temptations and Seductions", is provided on Deep's website. It investigates her alleged, romantic relationship with the actor Amitabh Bachchan, positing that the affair began during the shooting of Do Anjaane (1976).[3][4]

## Development and release

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Eurekha! was originally titled Re, the way Rekha is addressed by her friends and fans. Deep's friend, the journalist Chaitanya Padukane, recommended him to change the title to Eurekha! (a combination the subject's name and the word eureka).[5][a] Deep said, "Like Archimedes who screamed 'eureka!' when he discovered his principle ... I was supposed to have 'discovered' the real Rekha. So Eurekha!"[5] It was his first book chronicling a living person, attributing this to the criticism he got after publishing his previous books (about Madhubala and Meena Kumari) that critics panned for "raking up the past" of deceased people.[2]

Published on 17 December 1999 by Shivani Publications in English, the book was reprinted in Hindi, Marathi, and Gujarati under the title Rekha O Rekha!;[8] it was also serialised in the Bengali-language magazine Anandalok.[9][10] The book generated controversy as soon as Rekha admitting she was angry at Deep for chronicling her life without her permission and claimed that most information in the book were misleading.[11][12] In an interview with Deccan Herald, she expressed her astonishment of how he collected "all those hearsay account" and criticised the title.[13] Rekha believed that "the kind of language used by the man only reflects his personality". Deep was prepared for a lawsuit from Rekha in response to the book,[14] but she did not file one.[11] She informed Filmfare in March 2000:

> "So many myths have circulated about me. God bless all those who want to make fast buck out my life... or at my expense. Whatever I've done in life, has been tucked away in my memory files for posterity. I have a photographic memory about everything—be it my profession, my achievements, my relationships. And if truth be told, no one is really interested in the real me except my family and close friends. At best, only the prurient or personal aspects grab attention in public. Whether I decide to get married, have a baby, or even plant a tree in my garden, that's purely my personal business. And I pray that it stays that way."[15]

## Critical reception

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Upon release, Eurekha! had reviews that were generally scathing due to Deep's writing and the book's contents. Tara Patel of The Afternoon Despatch & Courier[14] described it as "an arrogant, crude example of how a woman, who happens to be a film star, can be victimised and exploited even while she lives." Mid-Day expressed similar thoughts, writing that Deep failed to chronicle his subject's life and career in a proper writing style.[2] India Today referred to Eurekha! as a "shoddily-[written] biography".[16] In contrast, The Telegraph's Ashok Banker wrote that Deep "has the guts to grab the tigress by the tail", believing his narration of Rekha's marriage to Agarwal is readable and entertaining.[14] V. Gangadhar from The Tribune felt the book is full of details of her personal life,[2] while Movie Mag International praised its authenticity.[14]

The Asian Age observed that Deep "has her life in a no-holds-barred-manner", and the Hindustan Times opined his prose is "purple". Another writer from The Afternoon Despatch & Courier was more positive, thinking that Deep had not got any credits he deserved for his works and praising his effort of researching her life. The Mumbai-based magazine Savvy said the book is "unputdownable", complimenting the fluidity in his narration which the reviewer thought would "[spur] your own vicarious curiosity for a fascinating film legend". The Free Press Journal commented, "... the enigma lies exposed as her life reflects the complexed, confused meanderings of a sharp and gifted individual." Behram Contractor labelled it the book version of the Sunset Boulevard of "the biggest and definitely the most intriguing actress in Bollywood's history".[14]

## Notes

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1. ^ Eureka (transl. I have got it) is an interjection to celebrate a discovery or invention, which is the transliteration of an exclamation attributed to the Ancient Greek mathematician Archimedes.[6][7]

## References

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1. ^ Ramnath, Nandini (8 September 2016). "'Rekha was honest about everything and Bollywood tried to tame her': biographer Yasser Usman". Scroll.in. Archived from the original on 17 December 2020. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
2. ^ a b c d Gangadhar, V. (27 February 2000). "Tale of two authors, three books". The Tribune. Archived from the original on 1 January 2014. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
3. ^ Deep, Mohan (1999). "Temptations and Seductions". MohanDeep.com. Archived from the original on 22 February 2001. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
4. ^ Vetticad, Anna M. M. (10 January 2000). "You Rekha". India Today. Archived from the original on 2 December 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
5. ^ a b Deep, Mohan (8 February 2013). "The Five Foolish Virgins". MohanDeep.net. Archived from the original on 21 April 2021. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
6. ^ "Eureka". Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Archived from the original on 3 December 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
7. ^ Joycee, O. J. (15 April 2012). "Are girls less than equal to boys?". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 14 June 2013. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
8. ^ "Buy Online". BigBollywood.com. Archived from the original on 11 October 2002. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
9. ^ Deep, Mohan (17 December 1999). Eurekha!: The Intimate Life Story of Rekha. Shivani Publications. ISBN 978-81-90107-90-7.
10. ^ "Rekha: Sue That Biographer". Filmfare. 28 September 1999. Archived from the original on 6 November 2001. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
11. ^ a b "Rekha: Furious!". Filmfare. 27 February 2000. Archived from the original on 20 April 2002. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
12. ^ "Rekha dismisses biography as false". India Abroad. 3 March 2000. Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 21 April 2021 - via HighBeam Research.
13. ^ Raaj, Shaheen (12 June 2005). "Rekha: timeless beauty". Deccan Herald. Archived from the original on 20 August 2014. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
14. ^ a b c d e Deep, Mohan (1999). "Rekha Sore at Mohan Deep!!!". MohanDeep.com. Archived from the original on 9 July 2000. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
15. ^ Pillai, Jitesh (March 2000). "Experiences and Shows". Filmfare. Archived from the original on 12 February 2001. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
16. ^ "New releases". India Today. 22 November 1999. Archived from the original on 11 August 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2021.

## External links

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* Eurekha! at Google Books

*[transl.]: translation