Of the 163 movies, 97 were solo-hero films, 20 were multi-starrers and 29 films had him in guest appearances. MASTERING GENRES: Rajesh Khanna acted in films of almost every genre be it tragedy, thriller, political adventure, fantasy, crime, action, family drama or movies addressing issues of social awareness.
GOLDEN JODI: The trio of Rajesh Khanna, Kishore Kumar and RD Burman worked wonders in 32 movies and brought about the golden era of music in the Hindi film industry through songs such as 'Kuch to log kahenge' and 'Ye shaam mastani'. Some even married his photograph! He would often need police protection when out in public.įILM ON ACTOR: British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) had made a film on him called 'Bombay Superstar in 1974’.
FIRST BREAK: Though Rajesh Khanna's first movie was 'Aakhri Khat', he received his first break as a lead actor in 'Raaz', which was directed by Ravindra Dave opposite Babita.įAN FOLLOWING: Fans would kiss his car, line up along roads and wait for hours outside his bungalow to catch a glimpse of the superstar Many women would send him letters written in blood. He was born in Amritsar and his parents migrated to Pakistan. The name ‘Rajesh Khanna’ was given to him by his uncle KK Talwar after his decision to join the film industry.ĪMRITSAR CONNECT: Rajesh Khanna was the foster child of Chunni Lal Khanna and Leelawati Khanna, who were relatives of his biological parents. After a string of successful films such as Baharon Ke Sapne, Aradhana, Ittefaq, and Do Raaste, he marched into the hearts of millions of his fans, who credited Khanna with the title of superstar. WHAT'S IN A NAME? Rajesh Khanna's original name was Jatin Khanna, while his friends and family members called him Kaka at home. However, his real break was Ravindra Daves Raaz (1967). Hindustan Times takes a trip down memory lane to recount some little known facts about the superstar of the sixties and seventies.
Today, he might not be with his fans (ironically he did a TV commercial saying he will remain with his fans forever), but lovers of every age group will look up to his films for inspiration and hope.It's been three years since Bollywood actor Rajesh Khanna passed away.
He tried his hand at politics and was an MP from Delhi. Khanna's stint with the small screen through serials like 'Apne Paraye' and 'Ittefaq' can be considered successful.
Dimple remained his closest partner in life. His relationship with Anju Mahendru soured, while his marriage with Dimple Kapadia was over after 11 years in 1984. He starred in 15 consecutive solos hit films from 1969 to 1971, a record unbroken. Khanna's personal life was not as glittering as his screen avatars. Rajesh Khanna, born Jatin Khanna (29 December 1942 18 July 2012) was an Indian actor, film producer, and politician who is best known for his work in the Hindi cinema.He is referred to as the 'First Superstar' of Indian cinema. With 'Dushman', 'Amar Prem', 'Bawarchi', 'Daag', 'Avishkar', 'Namak Haram' and 'Aap Ki Kasam', the cordial relation with the audiences went on till the social set up changed its course in 1975. Probably his most memorable role, 'Anand' showed how one can play a character without wearing the superstar tag. The second phase of his acting career began with 'Anand'. He nodded his way into the hearts of college going, cycle riding girls. Thanks to composers such as SD Burman, Salil Chaudhary and Laxmikant-Pyarelal, the actor became the epitome of romance. His acting skills, charming smile, performances and unique style helped him climb the ladder to success in just six years. He is the superstar who created a wave in Indian film industry. He didn't have a Greek god's features, and did not fight with hundreds of goons, in fact he looked vulnerable, but it was this susceptibility which endeared him to his female fans. Rajesh Khanna, affectionately referred as ‘Kaka ji’ was the highest paid actor of Bollywood from 1970 to 1979. He became the man who loved till death, and who was brave enough to admit his mistakes, unlike his predecessors who knew what emotion they want to evoke right from the first shot. It brought Khanna closer to the general audiences who wanted to come out of Dev Anand and Guru Dutt's preaching style of acting and dialogue delivery. It brought in an era of storytelling when filmmakers would not hesitate to bring out the weaknesses in the main characters on the screen.