Veteran actress Rekha, born Bhanurekha Ganesan, faced personal struggles despite her public elegance. As the daughter of actor Gemini Ganesan and actress Pushpavalli from an extramarital affair, she was labeled an "illegitimate child." Rekha grew up with emotional distance from her father, rarely seeing him and not understanding the concept of a father. She learned about her half-sister at school and later refused to attend her father's funeral.