Throwback: When Rekha had defended herself against allegations of interference in Gautam Ghose's Yatra

Alleged differences between director Gautam Ghose and Rekha made headlines during the release of their film Yatra (2006). The crew was reportedly unhappy with Rekha's constant interference. There were allegations that the 'Muqaddar Ka Sikandar' actress wanted to direct the director. This allegation has been made repeatedly throughout Rekha's career and reportedly was also one of the reasons why she was not cast in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi. However, in an exclusive interview during the release of Yatra, Rekha defended herself, stating that she did not need to stand on a podium to promote her performance in the film.


Rekha further stated that she would not waste her time justifying her behaviour or defending herself against other people's opinions. She refused to be drawn into the controversies surrounding the film, as she believed that every film should speak for itself. She added that she had a small role in Yatra and hoped that she had not been an uninvited guest on set. Rekha's approach to publicity was questioned, with some suggesting that she was trying to enhance her mystical image by staying out of the limelight. However, Rekha dismissed this idea, citing Nargis Dutt as an example as someone who was visible everywhere but still had an enigmatic aura.

Meanwhile, Gautam Ghose was unhappy with the shooting and release of Yatra. The film was completed in September 2005, but he alleged in a past interaction that for certain unknown reasons the film was submitted late for censorship. The film then got stuck with the animal board, who objected to three shots of a caged bird. Ghose found the reason given for the objection weird, as he was told he could show any other species of bird except the one in the shot because it was an endangered species. Despite Yatra being a major film for all the four principal actors, Nana Patekar, Nakul Vaid, Rekha and Deepti Naval, they did not come forward to support it, which was disappointing for Ghose. However, he accepted that every film has its own destiny.


Contrary to the widely held opinion that Rekha had a cameo role in Yatra, Ghose confirmed that she had a major role as the protagonist Dashrath's muse. He revealed that Rekha had done a beautiful mujra, an item song and some Kathak dancing in the film. Ghose expressed the opinion that Yatra is a film that straddles the line between fantasy and fiction, being and non-being, and Rekha represents that surreal quality.