FirstpostEbook eBook RajeshKhanna 20120719143317

Table of contents The death of an icon Rajesh Khanna: Last knight from cinema’s age of innocence Beyond the songs: His awaaz was Rajesh Khanna’s pehchan Rajesh Khanna’s last words: ‘Time ho gaya hai. Pack up!’ No more Anand: The endless death of Rajesh Khanna by TV Bachchans, SRK, Salman Khan pay homage to the late Rajesh Khanna 04 06 08 09 11 Rise and fall Rajesh Khanna: The Superstar who could not handle success Tragic hero: The song that summed up Rajesh Khanna’s life One day the flowers stopped coming: Rajesh Khanna on not being a star 15 18 20 Why Rajesh Khanna was special Why no SRK will ever out-romance Rajesh Khanna Rajesh Khanna was the heartbeat of the nation When Rajesh celebrated wife Dimple’s 16th birthday at the Hilton, London Pakistani fans pay tribute to Rajesh Khanna Dialogues that will keep Rajesh Khanna around forever 22 24 26 28 29 Memories of a superstar We used to gossip in Parliament: Mamata on Rajesh Khanna Bollywood twitterati remembers Rajesh Khanna Five things you did not know about Rajesh Khanna 31 32 33 Flashback: Flashback Rajesh Khanna: 35 The death of an icon sometimes maybe a little beyond ordinary. the way Guru Dutt defined pathos and later on Amitabh Bachchan defined anger. Akshaya Mishra. a new way of telling the story and shifted trajectory. well. It was not the age of the angry superhero — he burst into the scene after Zanjeer. The leading men didn’t trade fisticuffs with dozens of baddies as a matter of habit. He did not overwhelm you. 2012 I t was Hindi cinema’s age of innocence. The old school . The leading men were not primed to wage private wars against the unjust system. Rajesh Khanna was the last link between two different eras of cinema. prone to heartbreaks and used to losing the women they loved to closest friends. identify yourself with. Hindi cinema had discovered action. Jul 18. they said it all with a tilt of the head and the mischievous twinkle in the eye. You loved them because they were such graceful losers. Anger just did not suit him. They were vulnerable. He was the guy you could relate to. They loved and lost. They were supposed to be ordinary.Rajesh Khanna: Last knight from cinema’s age of innocence He defined romanticism the way Dev Anand did. And what an exquisite link he was! Forget the movies he did post 1973 — he was playing on alien turf then. he just sought your undivided attention. vulnerable. Both brought their own signature styles into what they did. as someone who represented Hindi cinema’s age of innocence with such vivacity. But stardom is also a trap. The shy.romance did not fit in here. They were good but according to popular expectations not better than Rajesh Khanna. let’s remember him not as the ‘star’. the way Guru Dutt defined pathos and later on Amitabh Bachchan defined anger. Let’s remember him by the old world. when he burned bright he just outshone everyone around. They simply had to be bigger and better. He won’t be recalled with the same respect as many of his contemporaries for his brilliance at histrionics. But yes. dance steps. He realised it too late. all-too-human characters he portrayed with such elan. he had the charisma. His phenomenal appeal made him a star. It is pointless to discuss who romanced better. In simple words. made himself bigger than his movies. unappreciative. No other contemporary had as much bankability as him. since comparisons are a vacuous exercise of the ignorant. Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor were certainly far bigger when it was about acting. seemingly untrained. How does one remember him? Well. delivering hits in amazing frequency and making women swoon all over the country. Remember him for the three years between 1969 and 1972 instead. Superstar? It’s debatable. His contribution to cinema is limited too. And it’s only an epithet. that unique property that separates the successful from the super successful. . a trend still not common in filmdom then. Stardom is after all a commercial proposition. Dev Anand or Rajesh Khanna. He brought his own distinct charm to filmi romance. He was at his best then. a bank- able proposition. the tilt of the head and his awkward. He set the benchmark for the succeeding generations. a darling of adoring fans and more importantly. He defined romanticism the way Dev Anand did. as did that sly smile. He does not leave the footprint as a brilliant actor. How can Rajesh Khanna be considered a superstar among them? Probably that is what stardom is all about. harmless. Probably there were far more accomplished actors around when he ruled the roost. endearing demeanour fit perfectly into the latter’s persona. G ulzar wrote “Meri awaaz hi pehchan hai. But Sathya Saran will miss the caress of Rajesh Khanna’s real voice. Do Raaste. but quickly dried their tears when the unborn child presented himself as his dead father’s spitting image. 2012 That film did not star Rajesh Khanna but those words were definitely true of him.Beyond the songs: His awaaz was Rajesh Khanna’s pehchan It is hard to think of Rajesh Khanna’s face without Kishore Kumar’s voice. his expressions somewhat masked by makeup. But the magic of the film. more songs. the locales. Sathya Saran. Rajesh Khanna made a fine art out of dying on screen. the romance that seemed to sizzle between Sharmila and him. and in other films like Aap Ki Kasam. Besides. But despite the backing of the magazine which had “discovered” him. Amar Prem. The women wept with Sharmila over her beloved’s death and the ‘sinful’ state she was in. Rajesh Khanna died half way through the film. Even in Aradhana. the film that put stardom within his grasp. and the double role did their bit. Like his idol Dilip Kumar. sighs of relief went through the hall. Akhri Khat his launch film did not mark him out as a star. Rajesh Khanna did not make serious waves at first. and any actor’s on screen death makes the Indian audience teary-eyed. and some kind of looks: nice eyes. he still looked rather callow. and an icon was born. definitely not one who would streak across the filmi sky leaving a trail of swooning fans gasping for breath. Other films followed. Avatar. Safar. choosing him over many others. Look at the facts: he had talent. Andaz…he would die in them all. Jul 19. His songs will keep Rajesh Khanna alive. Anand. the music. Hearts were won. he would suffer for long cinematic . Roti.” Lata sang those words in Kinara. an expressive face. Baharon Ke Sapne… with similar results. years. with his words. the singer too brought in a warmth. It is enough to note that almost forty years after he blazed out. and Dushman…the list is endless. or even Haathi Mere Saathi. nor the quietly underplayed role by Sanjeev Kumar. “Kishore Kumar is my soul. Dress designers togged up Rajesh Khanna in ridiculous clothes. a character who could caress with his voice. . had more screen presence. when Rajesh Khanna made his only appearance on screen for an ad. Only the voice when it sent out its caress. Maybe only Feroz Khan who was his co-star in Safar failed to equal or surpass him as a co-star in a film. with whom he acted with in Aap Ki Kasam was a better actor. taking a cue from the actor’s delivery style. the voice that sang his songs would be identified with him. romantic. delivered as only he could deliver them. mimic that he was. Amitabh Bachchan. If the endless replaying of his Anand death scene on TV screens is any indication. Rajesh Khanna’s titled teasing glance. Verily. developed a style of speaking all his own. Even in Andaz. From Anand to Safar. Not for the ebullient Mumtaz. he was almost unrecognisable. but generations to come would separate the soul from body. Or he could be righteously angry as in Namak Haram and take the audience with him. and turquoise blue safari suits as he cavorted about with his heroines. but the song on his lips. Yet there were films when he laughed and made others laugh. Ask the love struck women of his heyday and they would come up with a string of such one liners from the Babumoshai line in Anand to “I hate tears” in Amar Prem. in his first cameo in Anand. he got some of the best songs of the seventies. Rajesh Khanna managed to overshadow the redoubtable Shammi Kapoor. he has sported fur caps. Kishore Kumar’s rise coincided with Rajesh Khanna’s popularity graph. Rajesh Khanna said in an interview. The combination was box office gold. that have made them among the best remembered in cinema. but the roles he played demanded and got songs that he would mouth. Who knows how bright and long the star would have shone in cinema if he had not nurtured in himself the tragic qualities of a meteor? Perhaps he would have tided the angry phase or adjusted himself to it? Would the charm of his voice have held in such a case? Hard to guess. it is his speeches. as was Bawarchi. Anand being one of them. I am his body”. They layered their skills to create a symphony of sound that moved from speech to song and back to speech. singing songs that wrenched the heart. He did not realise it then. or fun filled. in the brief cameo. But that does a disservice to the speaking voice. a tenderness that made his enuncia- tion and tone almost indistinguishable from the actor’s style. Rajesh Khanna. The magic was in the voice. and his lovelorn eyes did the rest. And in a mileu fast changing to where it was each man for himself. where there was little time to care and share. and the way he spoke them could not but win! The films he starred in were not dialogue heavy. Which brings us to his singing voice: Kishore Kumar. but there was an element of caring in them all. as he grew into stardom and the confidence it brings with it. Yet Aap Ki Kasam is remembered for Rajesh Khanna. in Kishore Kumar’s voice won the moment for him. Mainly because. And while they would hardly know the man who charmed an entire generation of fans. made some hearts miss a beat…meri awaz hi pehchan hai… I rest my case. to Aap Ki Kasam to Aradhana. Sanjeev Kumar. The roles were gentle. What made that magic happen? Coldly speaking. ” Bachchan reckons that Mehmood wasn’t just giving him a tutorial in acting. dies – gave him much cause for worry. causing immense anguish to Rajesh Khanna’s many fans. Bachchan recalls. when he went to pay his respects to Khanna soon after learning of his death. the dour character played by Amitabh. Bachchan also recalls that on Wednesday afternoon. 2012 L egendary actor Amitabh Bachchan has. in a heartfelt tribute to Rajesh Khanna. Pack up!’ Amitabh Bachchan recalls how he overcame his angst about playing the final scene in Anand with Rajesh Khanna . recalled some interesting anecdotes from their film careers and lives. R-aj-e-s-h K-h-a-n-n-a is dead!! and you will get everything right. (It’s the same footage that’s been on endless loop on television channels all of Wednesday. for instance. he was acknowledging Rajesh Khanna’s giant stature as the megastar of those times. that the final scene in the film Anand – where Anand Sehgal. the character played by Rajesh Khanna.Rajesh Khanna’s last words: ‘Time ho gaya hai. Mehmood’s advice: “Just think Amitabh. in whose house he was then living. FP Staff. Dr Bhaskar Banerjee. He therefore sought advice from actor-director Mehmood.and other interesting anecdotes from their lives. a close associate of Khanna’s came up and confided that his last words were. breaks down at Anand’s death bed and pleads with him to speak. Jul 19. . ”Time ho gaya hai! Pack Up!” Read Bachchan’s other endearing recollections of Rajesh Khanna here.) Bachchan recalls on his blog (which you can read here) that he was unable to “find a method in my own very limited acting experience” to convey the pathos of that moment. Strangely that gave it the feeling of hushed reality as the split screen showed the images of his house on one side and his filmi death bed on the other. That death bed had become the substitute for the place the intrusive camera dared not go – his actual death bed. There was only the voice of the announcer talking about his death.” she said shaking her head.” On the television screen. My mother stopped midway through ladling the dal to stare at the screen with dismay. A few months ago there was a heated debate about exploitation when Havells fans featured Kaka in an ad. but still gamely trying to put on the Babumoshai charm. interviewing sundry colleagues and stars about their T memories of the man. milking its filmi tragedy for all its worth. “Oh no. he gasped for breath. frail and emaciated. Sandip Roy. Rajesh Khanna lay dying on his Anand deathbed. But the visual was minus its filmi soundtrack. “Oh no. But there’s something morbid about endlessly spooling that famous death scene on television.No more Anand: The endless death of Rajesh Khanna by TV Rajesh Khanna was Bollywood’s first superstar. 2012 he family was having lunch when Rajesh Khanna died. And Anand was his iconic film. He tossed his head from side to side. gaunt. Jul 18. on channel after channel. “(T)he Havells fans commercial made . His Anand death from 1971 has become the stand-in for his real off-camera death in 2012. many of them grandmothers. He apparently watched Nishipadma dozens of times before it was remade as Amar Prem. But at the same time Rajesh Khanna didn’t forget to give his salaams to Bengal’s own superstar Uttam Kumar.me weep. in the Rajesh Khanna wave that bowled over men and women. Rajesh Khanna was the star of the first Hindi film I ever saw though I confess as a little boy I went to see Haathi mera Saathi because of the elephants. As much for Rajesh Khanna as for myself. the superstar who thought he had made a pact of Amar Prem with his audience. The ad was “insensitive” groused others. Now with Rajesh Khanna’s passing the curtains have come down with finality. As she watched Rajesh Khanna die in Anand over and over again today. . like the rest of the country. We should mourn his passing and celebrate his life and what he meant to us. She was right in a way.” wrote Shobhaa De. His famous line “I hate tears” would be woven into every remembrance. Rajesh Khanna is dead. a large part of that romance died with them. It was inevitable that Anand would become part of any television obituary of Rajesh Khanna. my mother said “Why did he have to do that film?” as if that 1971 film somehow was a curse that reared its head in 2012. For generations of Indians. If they had once hidden a picture postcard of Kaka in their schoolbooks. That film was a classic but we don’t need to milk its tragic ending for tears anymore. that postcard has long crumbled to dust. But that death clip from Anand overwhelms the zindagi of Rajesh Khanna. But if that Rajesh looked like a shadow of himself. “But still hats off to Uttam Kumar. The young women who were ready to slit their wrists for him are now matronly. spooling endlessly on every channel without any respite. When RD Burman and Kishore Kumar died. Yet despite his ups and downs some of that affection stayed. In a Bollywood filled with Bengalis. stripping him of his dignity and exposing him to a new generation who knew him only as Akshay Kumar’s rickety father-in-law. he managed to pass himself off as a babumoshai to Kolkata’s delight. But can we do that without killing him over and over again on our televisions screens? That is nothing short of death by a thousand cuts of the same clip. When breaking news of disasters come without enough footage we see the same clips over and over again. They will mourn Kaka as much as they will mourn the idea that once they were foolish enough to think about slitting their wrists for him. it is infinitely more morbid to surf from channel to channel and see the old young Rajesh dying over and over again.” he said and thus won my mother’s heart. It made my mother sad to watch him do his Havells fan ad. That’s what happened with Rajesh Khanna’s death. He seems to be trapped in the throes of death. He had so many songs with “zindagi” in it that one would be hard-pressed to choose one for any Rajesh Khanna tribute. “In a dhoti&kurta you showed the rest of India how truly elegant Bengal was” tweeted Rituparno Ghosh today. Rajesh Khanna was romance. And I got caught up. Over the years Rajesh Khanna had become a crinkly-eyed caricature of himself. Salman Khan pay homage to the late Rajesh Khanna .Bachchans. SRK. . . Rise and fall . As we went around on the Carter Road in Bandra I showed her Rajesh Khanna’s bungalow. . Rajesh Khanna died today after years of loneliness and a drinking habit he couldn’t overcome. Khanna’s first movie was Chetan Anand’s Aakhri Khat. mujhse ek kavita ka vaadaa hai milegi mujhko… (Death you are a poem. Aashirward.” she told me. a movie which everyone has forgotten by now except for the rather soulful number “baharon mera jeevan bhi sawaron” sung by Lata Mangeshkar and set to tune by Khaiyyam. Jul 18. “Such was his craze”. but the trouble with him is that he started thinking he was one.. told Open magazine around a month back. “My sister even named her son after him. someone who would be- come Bollywood’s next superstar) speaking the following lines: Maut tu ek kavita hai .. “At one point. a film journalist.” Ali Peter John. In this scene Anand (the character played by Khanna is dying) is dying due to the lymphosarcoma of the intestine and there is tape playing in the background which has Babumoshai (played by Amitabh Bachchan. Actors often enact death scenes in movies and Rajesh Khanna enacted a particularly powerful scene in Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Anand. Rajesh Khanna was a god. ) Death and Khanna finally came together today on a rainy afternoon in Mumbai.who could not handle success Superstardom was something that Khanna could not handle. Vivek Kaul.. 2012 Rajesh Khanna: The Superstar S ometime in March this year I was taking a Tamil aunt of mine around Mumbai. a poem has made pact with me that I shall meet her . The story goes that Khanna used to clear a tune only if he remembered it a few days after the composition had first been presented to him. As Avijit Ghosh writes in Bollywood’s Top 20: Superstars of Indian Cinema “Rajesh Khanna became an actor without his best lines. After the breakup Khanna married Dimple Kapadia before the release of her first movie Bobby. The movies of Rajesh Khanna’s may not have had the best of the lines but they had brilliant music composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal (LP) and RD Burman. Other than this his dialogues from Anand are well remembered till date. And that after mimicry artists have used it over and over again over the years. Delhi girls were crazier for him than Mumbai girls.The movie which set Khanna on his superstardom was Shakti Samanta’s Aradhana. They would stand in queues outside the studios to catch a glimpse. getting the best out of both in the process.” Ali Peter John. “Women came out in droves to see Kaka (Khanna). told the Open magazine around a month back. His superstardom also revived the singing career of Kishore Kumar and together they formed a hit pair. but the trouble with him is that he started thinking he was one. As Sharmila Tagore said in interview to Indian Express. Rajesh Khanna was a god. who made a documentary titled Bombay Superstar on Khanna described him as an actor who had the “charisma of Rudolph Valentino and the arrogance of Napoleon”. This was a huge reason for his success. The story goes that he got his baraat to go in front of Mahendru’s bungalow (which was actually Khanna’s bungalow). And the first victim of this was his girlfriend of seven years Anju Mahendru. Such was the Rajesh Khanna craze that he had 15 consecutive solo super-hits between 1969 to 1971. But superstardom was something that Khanna could not handle. a film journalist. Such was his craze among women that they would wait for hours to have a glimpse of him. was composed by his son RD Burman. And like most of the batting records set by Sachin Tendulkar it is likely to remain unbroken. They did not speak for nearly 17 years after his marriage. He needed police protection when he was in public. Jack Pizzey. the Khan superstars of this day and age notwithstanding. ““At one point.” But unlike Amitabh Bachchan who followed him or Dilip Kumar who preceeded him Khanna’s movies hardly had any great dialogue. but since the senior Burman was taken ill. There was no looking back after this as Khanna delivered one hit after another. a record which the biggest superstar of Hindi cinema Amitabh Bachchan also could not break. on the rebound. though he wasn’t credited for it. The music for his first big hit Aradhana was officially composed by SD Burman. Even bad films like Aap ki Kasam had great songs like zindagi ke safar main guzar jaate hain jo makaam wo phir nahi aate. they would marry his photographs. marry his photographs and even name their sons after him (as was the case with my aunt’s sister). Some of the most soulful numbers of Kishore Kumar from chingari to ye lal rang kab mujhe chodega to my all time favourite Kishore number jab dard nahi tha seene main tab khak mazza tha jeene main were filmed on Khanna.they would pull at his clothes.” The only dialogue that people probably remember till date is a line from Amar Prem: “Pushpa I hate tears”. the music . I have never seen anything like this before and since. Also he made LP and RD Burman compete for his films. The lyric writer Anand Bakshi wrote some of his best lines for Rajesh Khanna. Success got into his head. Zanjeer changed all that. The most embarrassing of them all being the 2008 movie Wafaa: A Deadly Love Story in which he starred opposite the now supposedly dead Laila Khan. Khanna’s superstardom had well and truly ended. I’m ready for my closeup. Norma is hallucinating by then and thinks that the news cameras are actually film cameras. Mr DeMille (a famous film director in Hollywood during those days). because after “Salome” we’ll make another picture. And she is trying to make this one last comeback. There’s nothing else — just us and the cameras and those wonderful people out there in the dark… All right. Rajesh Khanna’s life closely resembled the life of the lead character in the 1950 Hollywood film The Sunset Boulevard. You see. He was the boy next door.You don’t know how much I’ve missed all of you. She still can’t get over the fact that her days of superstardom are over. I’m too happy. As Ayaz points out in the Open magazine “Aise attan button aate jaate rahenge. Do these names ring a bell?” wrote Shaikh Ayaz in the Open sometime back. lekin Rajesh Khanna ko koi chhoo bhi nahi sakta. In 1973. The movie was a smash hit and saw the birth of the angry young man. And Khanna was anything but the angry young man. “Although those were the days when Khanna was ‘friends’ with nearly all his colleagues. A script written by Salim-Javed and which was rejected by seven different actors (including Dev Anand) before Amitabh Bachchan finally took it on. The comebacks also continued in the meanwhile. “I can’t go on with the scene. . writer VK Sharma and villain Roopesh Kumar (claimed to be a cousin of Mumtaz). Before Zanjeer the maar-dhad films were not a part of the mainstream of Hindi cinema and were referred to as stunt films. And I promise you I’ll never desert you again. Main kya aise aire gaire logon se darr jaaunga?” But with the rise of Amitabh Bachchan. The year saw the release of Prakash Mehra’s Zanjeer. four years into Khanna’s success everything changed.With success came a group of hangers on. the regular darbar that he held at Aashirwad had only small-timers in attendance. and another and another. Things go wrong and in the end she shoots her paramour Joe. this is my life. The story goes he also almost entered the Big Boss house and his son-in-law Akshay Kumar got the deal scuttled. She descends the grand staircase of her house and says the famous last lines of the movie. I just want to tell you how happy I am to be back in the studio making a picture again. Among those he hung out with were the producers Mohan Kumar and Johnny Bakshi. He made several attempts at a comeback and had occasional hits like Souten in which he was paired opposite Tina Munim. Salim-Javed and the angry young man. Norma Desmond is a long forgotten lonely film star of the silent movie era in the movie. When Bachchan was on his way up Khanna tried to brush his success aside. if I say a few words? Thank you.” Rajesh Khanna rest in peace. Thus started the decline of Rajesh Khanna. Do you mind. In the classic last scene of the movie news cameras have arrived at her house. which had the likes of Dara Singh in the lead role. Khanna briefly moved onto politics representing the New Delhi constituency for the Congress party between 1992 and 1996. Mr DeMille. It always will be. who kept reminding Khanna that he was the superstar. before and after superstardom. In his death. 2012 I f there were ever an actor who’d be remembered more for the songs that were associated with him than anything else. But nothing can tell the story of Rajesh Khanna as well as a single song from Aap Ki Kasam (1974).Tragic hero: The song that summed up Rajesh Khanna’s life This song from Aap ki Kasam might not make it in the list of the five best Rajesh Khanna songs but it sums up the story of his life. it would be Rajesh Khanna. The song comes at the end of the . And Rajesh Khanna had more classics to his name than any other star. Amar Prem. Safar. Released at a time when the Amitabh Bachchan juggernaut was gaining momentum Aap Ki Kasam is one of the last great Rajesh Khanna hits. Jul 19. but that one song is nothing less than his life story. Those who didn’t know Hindi cinema better wouldn’t believe that sometimes it is the songs associated with an actor that make him truly everlasting. Anand. Gautam Chintamani. ironically. Zindagi ke safar mein guzar jaate hai jo makaam (watch it here) might not make it to the top-five lists of Rajesh Khanna melodies. like no other. everyone will come up with the most memorable Rajesh Khanna songs – and they have plenty to choose from gems from films such as Aradhana. Kati Patang. There will be. many songs with zindagi in them – Zindagi Ka Safar Hai Yeh Kaisa Safar or Zindagi Kaisi Hai Paheli Hai or Zindagi Ek Safar Hai Suhana. In his death. There are many tales of how he treated people like day-old newspapers. but looking back. Legend has it that Khanna was so disturbed by Amitabh Bachchan. it’s only in his last few months that Khanna was surrounded by the people he learnt to value the most. vo hazaron ke aane se milte nahin (Hundreds tomorrow won’t be able to fill the space left empty by a few who left you that one day). Woh woh phir nahi aate. Aur parde pe manzar badal jaata hai (One barely sees what’s in front of him and the whole stage changes). That is sadly how the screen legend’s real life turned out. This song might predate many of the events that unfolded in Rajesh Khanna’s life. knew how to handle the superstar status. days and nights never come back). The manner in which the song was filmed. There are many people that Khanna ill-treated when the going was good and most of them never forgot that. He had the habit of surrounding himself with yes-men and believed whatever they said to inflate his ego. Sharmila Tagore once said that she hasn’t seen fame like she had seen Khanna’s ever before or ever since. In its course. the new kid on the block. Rajesh Khanna finally gets a second chance that life never really gave him. convinced that his fame was invincible. A better part of his life. sees him wander aimlessly. the song is eerily like Rajesh Khanna finally understanding the wrongs he committed. Kamal (Rajesh Khanna) is convinced that his wife Sunita (Mumtaz) and his friend Mohan (Sanjeev Kumar) are having an affair and doesn’t stop till he is consumed by it. woh phir nahi aate (You spend a lifetime crying out their names. If you look closer at the words penned by Anand Bakshi. There are superstars and then there is Rajesh Khanna. in one moment it races ahead). was relegated to being in almost social exile. Later he tried to make amends but Bollywood is very good at remembering the bad – Umra bhar chahe koi pukaara kare unka naam Woh phir nahi aate. (Once they pass away. Rajesh Khanna was nothing less than an emperor and this is what made him banish people from his durbar rather than simply breaking away from those who didn’t agree with him. but those who deserted you never return). The tragedy is that he did not take the lyrics of his own song to heart before they came true. Kamal’s realisation that his suspicion has killed their marriage forever. it is unnerving just how closely it mirrors the star’s life. the song seems to suggest Khanna’s reluctant acceptance of Bachchan – Aadmi theek se yeh dekh paata nahi.film about a man whose life is destroyed because of his inability to look beyond his brittle ego. When he sings the line Ek baar chale jaate hein jo din raat subah sham. This song even uncannily sums up his relationship with his wife. For the while that he was at the top. it does not pause. woh phir nahi aate…(Tomorrow you may regret remembering those who may leave you today… stop them from giving up on you… For later. And it foretells the story of the lonely superstar he would become. Dimple Kapadia – Kal tadapna pade yaad mein jinki. post his glory days. . Khanna’s meteoric rise to stardom was so sudden that no one. Ek pal mein ye aage nikal jaata hai (Time marches on. even if you tried to call out. regretting his actions for the rest of his life. Rok lo ruth kar unko jaane na do. it is a rumination on the transient nature of fame. that he repeatedly ill-treated him on the sets of Bawarchi (1972) when Bachchan used to visit to meet Jaya Bahaduri. Baad mein pyaar ke chahe bhejo hazaaro salaam. Bakshi was almost echoing that when he wrote Waqt chalta hi rahta hai rukta nahi. His inability to accept people who spoke their mind in front of him are echoed in the lyrics Kuchh log ek roz jo bichhad jaate hain. those who forsake you never come back). Woh phir nahi aate. least of all him. Khanna’s bungalow in suburban Bandra) used “When you have one hit after the other you to have truckload of flowers on my birthday. it was his inability to rise above the painful pause and he said. Mahesh one day the flowers stopped coming. . “I remember asking him once a question: when did it dawn on you that you are a spent force.One day the flowers stopped coming: Rajesh Khanna on not being a star According to director Mahesh Bhatt. Jul 19. R FP Staff. and according to Mahesh Bhatt . Aashirwad (Rajesh persona he had managed to create on screen. success.” he said.” the director said. the actor said he realised he was no longer a superstar when he stopped getting truckloads of flowers on his birthday. become invincible. that the best years are behind you? He took a So what led to the actor’s downfall? According to Bhatt. birthday he came to know how far he had fallen. He did precious little to get And one day there were no flowers. 2012 Bhatt was also all praise for the actor’s films but ajesh Khanna knew when he was a superstar but also realised when he was said it didn’t hurt the actor’s prospects that his films had some of the industry’s most memoraa spent force. perhaps can materialize the and one day suddenly he woke up and discoventire Rajesh Khanna narrative and realise that ered that he kingdom he ruled did not exist. Obliviously there was no reason to look for a new persona because it was working magic “Anybody who had the power to reflect on that painful moment. and that the tragedy is a part of his person. there wasn’t to be a resurrection. “I think he was lucky to get great music and great stories.” he said.” Bhatt told out of that persona which had found resounding CNN IBN.once candidly admitted that it was on one ble songs. Why Rajesh Khanna was special . was a lore that our generation grew up with. even for generations who didn’t know him in his prime. Piyasree Dasgupta. would form the bedrock of all definitions of romance that life would bring forth. 2012 hen you’re born to a generation that was destined to save its favourite middle school memories in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai pop-up cards. Where the uncle rattles off product numbers of all EPs and LPs of Rajesh Khanna movies he sold after he joined the biggest music production company of those times.Why no SRK will ever out-romance Rajesh Khanna Rajesh Khanna. . A family where the aunt is said to have rejected Bengali doctors and engineers for the not-so- W elaborate uncle who has the names of all Rajesh Khanna movies neatly arranged in his head in a frighteningly accurate virtual catalogue. you would expect Rajesh Khanna to remain relegated to the odd non prime time movie on TV. and this might be true for several Indian families. And despite generous doses of classical British literature and nineties boy band pop. I was born to a family where the father risked losing a full-head of hair to get a lacquered lock to lay exactly the way it did on Rajesh Khanna’s forehead in Aradhana. Jul 18. paper cut-outs tucked under the mother’s mothballed sarees or a bunch of LPs catching dust under old dictionaries and math books. Only. will be the epitome of romance. Rajesh Khanna. Rajesh Khanna. But Rajesh Khanna remained. . I saw Aradhana on Doordrashan. sans Hindi pick-up lines. on a hung-over Sunday afternoon.I had Roop Tera Mastana by heart by the time I was ten. betrayal and lust. And it’s yesterday once more. dahlia in spring kind. I was 14. It was to become one of those films I would always go back on a sick day at home. a sharp. Chingari Koi Bhadke) to Kati Patang. From the delicate relationship between a world-weary. pub. on a dozen Valentine’s Days I never had a date. Khanna’s films defined romance like it possibly could be in an average Joe’s life – sans Switzerland. I understand. And then college happened with its customary denunciation of Bollywood candyfloss. it was almost easy to fancy a guy in a jeep running after your toy train. which had led to several family embarrassments in scores of Tagore-worshipping Bengali family gatherings. Or believe all great romances start with the rains on the hillside with a cosily lit cave in the vicinity. sans waxed chests and a hero singing in a crowded-withfirangs. that it made a card-holding communist want to fall in love – of the rains without warning. Yeh Kya Hua. disco-balled. Strangely enough. engrossing take on the Bollywood staples of love. They are not dusted by the domestic help. My father does it every weekend because he says it gets songs playing in his head. Rajesh Khanna films made romance so believable. Suspension of disbelief was probably so much easier – with a little help from a mush-magnet called Mere Sapnon Ki Rani. Khanna’s LPs are the only showpieces in my modest Kolkata living room. just a couple of days after I read my first Mills and Boons. ironyspewing babu and a beautiful prostitute in Amar Prem brought alive by some of the most stunningly written songs ever (Kuch to Log Kahenge. Was it just a fresh approach? Was it just the waning of earlier superstars and the other guys who could kind make it to the top like Sunil Dutt.heartbeat of the nation Rajesh Khanna was the The songs that Kishore Kumar sang for Rajesh Khanna. Jul 18. there is nobody to beat Amitabh Bach- . Rajesh Khanna. Rajesh Khanna was the first guy who actually measured up the popularity or exceeded that of any one. The craze now we see for Salman Khan. I haven’t seen the craze like I saw for him ever. Dharmendra. Dev Anand. overwhelmed everyone. Dev Anand — the trios of the 50s and the early sixties… nobody has been bigger than Dilip Kumar as an actor and for sheer length of time. They all lived in the shadow of Dilip Kumar. Rajesh Khanna’s death takes away a big and a very important chunk of our lives because he just kind of haunted our generation. While it is always said that he was the first superstar. 2012 achan. It is difficult to say what really triggered off that kind of mania for Rajesh Khanna. you have to understand what he really meant the people specially fans. Manoj Kumar. Raj Kapoor. were the beat of the nation much like Rajesh Khanna being the heart beat of the nation. There have been bigger stars. bigger actors before and after him. Dilip Kumar. but for a short spell of a time between 1968 and 1973. composed by RD Burman. There were story of girls marrying his photographs or when he got married to Dimple Ka- or those of you who have grown up the late sixties and seventies. F Ayaz Memon. kind of. Raj Kapoor. Shahrukh Khan and Aamir Khan. And the minute he came on in the song Accha Toh Hum Chalte Hai . And just as suddenly the Rajesh Khanna wave disappeared.padia. But Rajesh Khanna somehow just couldn’t make that come back and that is one of the sad parts of the life. RD Burman as a music director. But there was a wave. He lived the life of a spoilt rockstar. It just kind of waned. The are lot of stories about he found it difficult to handle his super stardom. There would be all this battle between Dilip Kumar die-hard loyalist like me and Rajesh Khanna loyalists like the girls. And suddenly. Post the interval there was a trailer of a Rajesh Khanna movie Aan Milo Sajana. Nobody else I think has enjoyed that kind of a craze in the Indian film industry. there was the movie Dhushman which released in the twin theaters. Ittefaq was one of his earliest big hits with Yash Chopra – a song less film were he played a escaped convict. He enjoyed that kind of superstardom or probably didn’t enjoy. composed by RD Burman. To really encapsulte what Rajesh Khanna wave meant I will give you an example and its no exageration at all. the entire audience went into raptures. There was whole syndrome that came along with it. a tsunami wave. And everything else that comes in between. didn’t last too long. Kishore Kumar’s second coming so to speak with Aradhana. I would define it by those two stanzas of his famous songs. hai yeh kaisa safar. But what will remain forever in my mind certainly. Sitting from outside one really doesn’t know. were the beat of the nation much like Rajesh Khanna being the heart beat of the nation. His marriage to Dimpla Kapadia. Ganga and Jamuna. One is from the film Andaz. Some of them were pretty melodramatic but he made a big impact. And other one is from the film Safar – Zindagi ka safar. Sharmila Tagore and Mumtaz were his favourites. People were hurling money at the screen. Basu Bhattacharya perhaps a Shakti Samanta otherwise he could be quite a pedestrian. some of them slashing their wrists and it didn’t seem as far stretched. Bawarchi these are all Hrishikesh Mukherjee films. Anand. which broke millions of hearts of women in India. He had his favourite female co-stars and he made some winning combinations. who was pretty much the pre-eminent number one star by far in the Indian film industry. That was craze Rajesh Khanna had. unprecedented. He became a non-entity of sorts. this phenomenon as he was called Rajesh Khanna. Its difficult to explain why. When I was in school. The stanza is – Zindgai ek safar hai suhana. If you ask me to define is career as well as his life. had almost vanished from the screen. And not that he was a terrific actor. Amar Prem with Shakti Samanta. And both theaters were houseful for an entire week. But he just couldn’t make the comeback one expected. The songs that Kishore Kumar sang for Rajesh Khanna. The Rajesh Khanna era. I think he was once in a lifetime occurrence. almost every actor who you could think off had a second or a third chance. in the 10th and 11th standard every girl in our class was a Rajesh Khanna fan. Both the theater showed the same movie. is that we all witnessed this tidal wave. When he had a terrific director to guide him along. He had terrific performances only when he had good directors like Hrishikesh Mukherjee. and in everybody’s elses mind who grew up in that generation. I remember going to see a rerun of Phool aur Phathar the Dharmendra-Meena Kumari classic at Alankar theatre in Mumbai. Then. he put up some terrific performances. yaha kal kya ho kisne jana. These were the theaters that came into being with that movie. those were the single screen days. Namak Haram. Especially now one feels that Bollywood having become so big for the last 10-15 years. He lived in his small private world of his own which may or may not have been a happy world. . you found Rajesh Khanna. Whether it is films or television. He was not a method actor or a studied actor or somebody who took too much attention to reaching great histrionic levels. were he plays a guest role motor-cycling down Marine Lines. When Rajesh celebrated wife Dimple’s 16th birthday at the Hilton. Rajesh Khanna married Dimple. Rajesh Khanna died a married man – married to his wife. 16 years his junior. The undisputed king of romance. Here’s a list of lesser known things about the most talked about romance and subsequent wedding in film history: 1. Contrary to popular belief. . She was single when the superstar met her and she was completely swept off her feet by his charm. Rajesh Khanna met the “soon-to-be-teensensation” on celluloid. Chunnibhai Kapadia’s family bungalow in Juhu. at the zenith of his superstardom at her father. the quintessential king of romance Rajesh Khanna. here’s a list of lesser known facts about his real life romance and subsequent wedding to Dimple Kapadia. 15-year-old Dimple Kapadia when she had just broken up with her boyfriend. 2012 R ajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia’s romance is legend. who he’d married just as soon as he’d met the teenaged beauty. the adorable Rishi Kapoor. Dimple. Rubina A Khan. 2. Jul 18. Dimple did not leave Rishi Kapoor for Rajesh. also a teenager. Mumbai in March 1973. who she was filming Raj Kapoor’s Bobby with at the time. never mind the ups and downs the couple weathered in their time together. London As the world mourns the death of India’s legend. Since Dimple filmed a large part of Bobby after she married Rajesh Khanna in March 1973. Rajesh Khanna threw a big party for Dimple at the Hilton hotel in London on 8 June to celebrate her 16th birthday. whose real name was Jatin Khanna. Mumbai.3. Rajesh invited them to Dimple’s birthday. Twinkle Khanna. who are married to actors Naseeruddin Shah and Pankaj Kapur respectively. Rajesh and his elder daughter. 6. 10. Dimple. Whilst Dimple was filming Bobby after she married Rajesh. They were accompanied by his close friends. The superstar. Whilst on their honeymoon. share the same birth date. who is married to Akshay Kumar. 9. 7. 29 December and shared a close relationship. The grand reception of the 70’s star and his sweetheart was held at Hotel Horizon in Juhu. . the mehndi on her newly-wed hands had to be hidden during the shooting schedule of a key song in the film. It was overflowing with actors and stars and all things glitzy and was one big party. but not alone. 4. The glamorous couple went to Europe for their honeymoon. The Bachchans were the only film stars present aside from Rajesh and Dimple at the non-filmi party. film producer Raj Bathija and wife Nirmal. and Baldev Pathak. The same year Amitabh Bachchan had wed Jaya Bhaduri and they were on their honeymoon in London at the same time. 5. died a married man as he never legally separated from his wife. Rajesh Khanna used to address Dimple as Dimpy and she called him Kaka. 8. the couple had to defer their honeymoon to June. father of actresses Ratna and Supriya Pathak. Pakistani fans pay tribute to Rajesh Khanna Hundreds of Pakistani fans of the late actor recalled some of his famous dialogues. IANS.” Jack recalled Rajesh Khanna’s “babumoshai” dialogue: “Arrey o babumoshai. . His style was very unique. Dharmendra. real impressions of the legend’s characters living in minds. Anand marte nahi…” “The man is gone. wrote Farrukh Siar. May your uper wala bless you peace endlessly. I loved every movie of his and my favourite was Alag Alag. Mohammad wrote: “And so. who died in Mumbai Wednesday. Rishi. with some recalling “Arrey oh babumoshai…” Pakistan’s leading daily Dawn had a separate section “Zindagi kay safar mein: Remembering Rajesh Khanna” where readers could write in. aur hum sab us Rangmanch ki kathputliyan… Jiski dor upar wale ke haath me hai… Usse na aap badal sakte hain na hum‘”. Sanjeev. like Amitabh. etc.Zindagi ek Rangmanch hai. Jul 19. RIP KAKA” APJ too recalled the same dialogue. hum to rangmanch ki kathputliyan hain jiski dor us upar wale ke haathon main hai kab. Shashi. respect and honour for him are reality. Another comment was a philosophical one from Wahid. But the memories will live on. adding” “Anand mara nahi. love. 2012 the great star has gone for ever but has left his memories in our hearts and minds!” KDP said that “one of the most memorable movie with sensational dialogues was Anand” and provided a link to selected dialogues from Anand. kaun kahan uthega ye koi nahin janta“. “By far my favourite actor. The reality is ideal. who wrote: “In my platonic learning: What is seen is not a reality. From Canada.. and he stands out as an actor in an era. May God bless him. Another post from Seoul was of the same dialogue: “Babumoshai. he will be missed. Rajesh Khanna! You are cherished and that is reality. I slamabad: Fans in Pakistan paid rich tributes to Bollywood actor Rajesh Khanna. where there were so many other superstars acted. phir tumhari aankho main paani! Maine tumse kitni baar kahan hai ki. Humko maafi dedo saahib’ .Ram Balram “Main marne se pehle marna nahin chahta” . agar phir bhi kisine na maaf kiya ho toh main yahi R kehna chahta hoon. The first superstar of Bollywood.Anand ‘Main derr se aata nahi hun lekin kya karu. kaise uthega ye koi nahin bata sakta hai’ . Isliye maafi ka haqdar hu. Khanna had numerous fans mouthing his dialogues across the country as they attempted to emulate the heartthrob. was known among his adoring fans for his songs and for his dialogues delivered in a style that he made his own. der ho jaati hai.Namak Haram .Anand ‘Babumoshai.Bawarchi Yeh lo.Safar “Yeh toh main hi jaanta hoon ki zindagi ke aakhri moor par kitna andhera hai” . Here are a select set of dialogues from some of his memorable films: ‘Kab. Kabhi socha hai ki iss ek glass ko pite hi hum ek parivaar ko bhooka maar dete hai .Amar Prem Iss ek glaas main ek majdoor ki ek mahine ki roti hai aur parivaar ki saans. .Safar Kisi badi khushi ke intezaar mein … hum yeh chote chote khushiyoon ke mauke kho dete hain .Dialogues that will keep Rajesh Khanna around forever The original superstar of Bollywood had many dialogues that fans memorised. 2012 ajesh Khanna. Here are some of the most memorable ones. kaun. Jul 18. Usse na aap badal sakte hain na main’ . FP Staff. who passed away today at age 69. Pushpa mujhse ye aansu dekhe nahi jaate. zindagi aur maut uparwale ke haath hai. I hate tears. Memories of a superstar . “Rajesh Khanna was always a symbol of romance. 2012 olkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said that Rajesh Khanna was a symbol of romance and in his death the film world has lost a “pole star”. It’s a very sad day and his demise is a colossal loss for the Indian K cinema. His smiling face and the ability to connect with people at ease had made him popular.” Mamata said while paying tribute to the Hindi films’ first superstar whom. His smiling face is still fresh in my mind. We lost a big pole star in the film world today. The chief minister said.” Reflecting on Khanna’s lighter side. We used to gossip in the Central Hall of Parliament. “I had known him personally. May his soul rest in peace. she knew personally. “I had once invited him for a Trinamool Congress party rally in Kolkata. Jul 18. the chief minister said. PTI. she said.We used to gossip in Parliament: Mamata on Rajesh Khanna West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said that Rajesh Khanna was a symbol of romance and in his death the film world has lost a “pole star”. He had told me in a lighter vein ‘I would go well-dressed. . “Rajesh Khanna was a legend and his acting has delighted cinema-lovers across many generations.” Recalling the days when the Bollywood superstar was an MP.” The chief minister conveyed her deep condolence to Dimple Kapadia and other members in the departed actor’s family. Mamata said. 2012 Bollywood twitterati M any Bollywood actors tweeted about Bollywood’s original superstar. Farah Khan Just hrd the saddest news. leaving behind memories cast in celluloid of that famous crooked smile.remembers Rajesh Khanna Many actors of Bollywood took to twitter today to express their grief on hearing the news of the death of Rajesh Khanna FP Staff.Legend Rajesh Khanna Sahib.. RIP Rajesh Khannaji Sophie Choudry: RIP Superstar. There was none. Thank you for the magic.hai yeh kaisa safar.His songs. Neha Dhupia: RIP Rajesh khanna Saab … U .. Jul 18. You will be missed.His charm.His films. Bawarchi and many more… What a legacy you’ve left behind.koi samjha nahi. there is none & there won’t be any like you kakaji. Arshad Warsi RIP KAKA….. – aap shayad samajh gaye. He.Will always live on Tusshar Kapoor Rajesh Khanna ji. prayer Prateik Babbar Zindagi ka safar. God bless n have mercy on his soul…. Kunal Kohli The word SuperStar was used first for Rajesh Khanna. Madhur Bhandarkar The epitome of superstardom is no more amongst us.. our 1st superstar is no more! I worked with him in kyaa dil ne kaha & learnt a lot just talking to him! May his soul RIP! Kailash Kher Superstar of our fathers generation is gone from this world.the 1st Superstar of india is no more. ur magic will live forever! Dia Mirza “Babumoshai eto bhalo bhasha bhalo na…”Anand. he who defined stardom… . The Phenomenon.upar SmitA se zaroor milna. Rajesh Khanna – simply the phenomenon to some – who died in Mumbai today. Ur magic. he was beyond ths word called(Actor) true Icon World will miss forever.His Ada. Kati Patang.. ur stardom. Here are some of the tweets Rahul Bose RIP Rajesh Khanna.His smile.bt the legend that was Rajesh khanna will live eternally thru his films.His style.RiP RajesH KhannA SahaB.. ur movies & all the incredible songs u were part of shall live on in our hearts 4ever Raima Sen A final salute to star Rajesh Khanna. The ad was a spoofish take on his huge fan following. and often said so publicly. -He idolised another superstar. he was adopted. 2012 ubbed India’s first superstar. Rajesh Khanna was the undisputed king of Bollywood in his time. Jul 18. But here are five other things you may not have known about him. topping over ten thousand contestants. He shared a seven-year relationship with her. He was a serious MP and took up no acting assignments during his stint in Parliament. Dilip Kumar. His foster parents were relatives. -Born Jatin Khanna in Amritsar on 29 December 1942. -He was a finalist in the 1965 All India Talent Contest organised by United Producers and Filmfare. In recent times. Rakesh Khanna fell in love with fashion designer and actress Anju Mahendru. -Just when his career kickstarted. . -In recent days.about Rajesh Khanna Many actors of Bollywood took to twitter today to express their grief on hearing the news of the death of Rajesh Khanna Five things you did not know D FP Staff. he bought land in Shirdi along with some foreign investors for a religious resort. After their break-up she did not contact him for 17 long years. He won the 1992 by-election from New Delhi. he drew flak for appearing in an ad for Havells fans directed by adman R Balki. -He became an MP for the Congress Party. Flashback: . IBN-Live A screenshot from the movie Aradhana.Flashback Rajesh Khanna: His role in Anand won him many fans. IBN-Live . Firstpost .During an election campaign in 2003. AFP His recent appearance at his bungalow. A screenshot from his last commercial. IBN-Live . Scan QR code or click to download our iPad / iPhone app iPad iPhone Copyright © 2011-12 Firstpost — All rights reserved Copyright Network18. . All rights reserved.