Aruna Irani recalls her friend Rekha got her scenes cut and removed her from another filmAruna Irani was one of the most popular actors in the 1970s, but she spent her career playing supporting roles. In an interview, she revealed that one of the reasons behind her losing out on lead roles was her own friend, Rekha. Aruna recalled that she was once signed as the second lead in the film Mangalsutra, but Rekha had her removed. She even had Aruna’s scenes in another project cut, because she felt that Aruna was ‘too good’.In a conversation with Lehren Retro, Aruna opened up about working with Rekha in the film Aurat Aurat Aurat and shared, “Producers ki wajah se picture bante bante 6 saal lag gaye. Mera bhut accha role tha, central character tha. Anybody would pray for that kind of a role. Fir kaafi logon ki wajah se kaat dena pada. Rekha ji humari, voh dene hi nahi deti thi, ki nahi Aruna ka role bhut accha hai (Because of the producers, it took six years for the film to get made. I had a very good role — it was the central character. Anybody would pray for a role like that. But due to several people, it had to be cut down. Rekha ji, for instance, she just wouldn’t allow it. She said, ‘No, Aruna’s role is too good)’.”ALSO READ | ‘Rishi Kapoor was naked, I refused to do the scene’: Aruna Irani recalls how Raj Kapoor convinced her to do Bobby sequence, Rishi’s surprised reactionDespite being a good friend, Rekha had her removed from another project. Aruna said, “Rekha removed me from a film even though she was a good friend of mine. She still is. But when she took me out of a film called Mangalsutra, I asked the producer, ‘Why did you remove me even after giving me the signing amount?’ He said, ‘Rekha ji never wanted you in the film.’ When I asked Rekha why she did it, she said, ‘Aruna, if you pulled off the role too well emotionally, I’ll start looking like a vamp in the film.’ So she cut me out.”Besides Rekha, Mangalsutra also starred Anant Nag and Prema Narayan in lead roles. The film showcased the themes of marital values, sacrifice, and societal norms around the relationship of marriage.Click here to follow Screen Digital on YouTube and stay updated with the latest from the world of cinema.© IE Online Media Services Pvt LtdTags:Aruna IraniRekha