The enigmatic Rekha elebrated her 56th birthday on Sunday (Oct 10). Wishing the Bollywood diva a very Happy Birthday, We get a collection of quotable quotes of Rekha down the years:

On beauty: "I want to look more beautiful but I don't understand about how much beautiful I am. I regard beauty as straightforwardness, truthness, happiness, patient, reverence and selflessness. All these are inherent in beauty and I wish to inculcate them. It is essential to have body to look beautiful."

On being the 'Woman of the World': "I love being a woman. In fact, I've always believed that I'm every woman. I think what attracts a woman to a man are his imperfections. He would be soooooo-not-perfect if he were perfect.

If only we could accept that there is no need to understand the opposite sex in order to love and adore them. Men never grow up. They will always remain boys.

The sooner women realise that, the easier it will be for them to live, love and celebrate men. And to answer your question what attracts me to a man is his...GENUINENESS...which is a rare quality."

On being 'sexy' at 50+: "Sexy? Whatever that means. I think it's trite, over-used and perhaps an over-rated word. Sensuality is more like it. I am, therefore I'm sensual. True sensuality is something that is inherent or innate.

It cannot be acquired. It oozes out constantly without ones realising it. A fan once said to me, "Sensuality, thy name is Rekha." I thought that was sweet."

On being 'mysetrious' Rekha: "The so-called mysterious image of Rekha is outside my periphery and is somebody else's perception and interpretation. I've always maintained that I am just a simple, spontaneous, and fun-loving person.

No offense to the word mystery and I don't mean to belittle it, but I'd rather be known as Rekha - The Woman, than Rekha - The mystery. I am a person who lives life by my own terms, makes my own rules and also dares to endure the consequences, if any. And may I add, I go out and have a blast and paint the town multi-coloured too."

On being a loner: "Well, loneliness is still a part of me, but being alone is not necessarily being lonely."

On Umrao Jaan: "After reading the script, I had a strange feeling that I had Umrao in me. And the film created history."

On her best friend (s): "Farzana, Surinder Makan...she's in Delhi...and a certain friend who's obscure, a godly figure."

On hits and flops: "Believe it or not, I actually cringe when I see myself on screen. Not that I am critical or even have an opinion. It's just that my standards are very high. Like my performance in Khiladiyon Ke Khiladi was not up to my standards but you guys loved it and even gave me the Filmfare Award for it.

I enjoyed working in Kudiyon Ka Zamaana but the whole world including the critics took it personally and shredded the film to bits. They asked me, "Ma'am how could you do a film like that?" I say as an actor every film is my baby and I'm equally proud of it.

Even if my child turns out to be handicapped, I don't believe in disowning it. It's my responsibility for life. I will nurture it, protect it and will stand by it for life. Because it's my sweat and blood, it's my joy, an integral part of me."

On love: "The word love is commonplace. The word 'Ishq' which poets have penned is 'the' word. Ishq implies giving yourself away in love, never expecting anything ever. Rekha is always in Ishq. Loving to me comes as inexorably as breathing. This is what defines me. I'm brimming with love. If I don't bestow the overflow, I believe the excess of love stored inside me will become toxic and almost choke me."

On marriage: "I'm not a pessimist and I believe that magic can happen between two special people! Over the years, I realised that true love need not be about an evening in Paris or how expensive a given gift is. It could be a string of divine-smelling dried mogra which I always keep under my pillow or the sights and smells of the studios I grew up in."