The phenomenon : Rajesh Khanna

His sparkling smile and soft face was every Indian woman’s dream. His demeanour was the almanac for every Indian man. Rajesh Khanna was part of everyone’s life – be it filmmakers, heroines, fans and even haters. Well when the actor passed away, it symbolised the end of an era. Rajesh Khanna is not a name you can forget. It’s a name you come to learn about because, without him there can be no documentation of the ‘phenomenal’ ’70s.

(L) Young Rajesh Khanna was the life of every set and party. Here he’s seen cajoling unit members of Raaz (1967)

(R) He was reportedly dating actress Anju Mahendru for seven years. They’re seen here celebrating Kaka’s birthday on his film set

He decided to tie the knot in a hurry but the Khanna family with Dimple Kapadia followed all the rites and rituals

He had a successful pairing with Mumtaz in hits like Sacha Jhutha, Aap Ki Kasam, Roti and many more. They were neighbours and reportedly close friends

Meteoric rise
Rajesh Khanna won Filmfare’s 1965 Talent Contest. He made his debut in 1966 with Aakhri Khat, India’s entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards in 1967. He was noticed for his performances in Baharon Ke Sapne and Ittefaq. It was with Aradhana that the critics christened him ‘a phenomenon’. The film also saw the resurgence of Kishore Kumar, who became the official playback voice of Khanna. While Haathi Mere Saathi was a huge grosser, Anand won him rave reviews and awards followed with hits like Sachaa Jhutha, Aan Milo Sajna, Kati Patang, Andaz and Bawarchi. Reportedly, filming at Howrah Bridge for Amar Prem was ruled out by the authorities in Kolkata as they feared the bridge would collapse under the weight of lakhs of Khanna’s fans. But Kaka (his pet name) was smitten by someone else. Reportedly, actress Anju Mahendru dumped cricketer Gary Sobers in favour of Khanna. But she was left in the lurch when Khanna shocked the world with a gunshot wedding with Dimple Kapadia.

He shocked the world when he decided to marry a relatively unknown girl Dimple Kapadia in 1970. This when Dimple’s debut Bobby was still not released

He used to receive fan mail in droves. Most used to be love letters while some were actually written in blood

He’s seen kissing young Twinkle as she visits him on the set

(L) Dharmendra plants a peck on Khanna’s cheek

(R) He was the romantic icon of his times and a ladies’ man. Here Kaka is seen entertaining Sharmila Tagore at a party

Reportedly, Raj Kapoor had played an important role in getting Khanna and Dimple hitched. They’re seen here having a conversation at a film mahurat

The fade out
Kaka had exclaimed his time was up when he first saw Amitabh Bachchan on screen even as BBC made a film on him, titled Bombay Superstar, in 1974, post his marriage and around the time Daag premiered. Later, to everyone’s dismay, Khanna changed from romantic and social movies to action oriented multi-starrers. It caused the decline of his career. He had hits like Chhaila Babu, Anurodh and Karm. But he also had duds like Bundal Baaz and Junta Hawaldar. While his career was going through its ups and downs, Kaka’s family life was in shambles. Wife Dimple and daughters Twinkle and Rinkie distanced themselves from the allegedly hostile fading star. There was a mild resurgence in his career though. Movies like Avtaar, Aaj Ka MLA and Kudrat were hits but there were also flops like Red Rose and Chakravyuha. Khanna found a new calling with his pairing with Tina Munim. They became the on and off screen couple of the ’80s with hits like Fiffty Fiffty, Souten and Adhikar.

When he used to check in to hotels girls used to line up by the hundreds in the corridor waiting for a glimpse of the star

Khanna was not on talking terms with wife Dimple and ex- Anju Mahendru for a long time. They buried the hatchet sometime in the late ‘80s

(L) He took to politics in 1984. He won the election contesting against Shatrughan Sinha by 25,000-plus votes

(R) Khanna made many public appearances in 2012. Many thought that he had completely recovered from his ailments

Khanna passed away in July 2012. A public procession was held by Dimple and son-in-law Akshay Kumar in Mumbai

The last act
By the ’90s, Khanna’s career was taking its last wobbly steps. David Dhawan’s Swarg (1990) was Khanna’s last hit. But Kaka was still a crowd favourite. He got elected to the Parliament in 1992. But by 1996 he had lost interest in politics. He tried to make a comeback with films like Aa Ab Laut Chalen (1999), Kyaa Dil Ne Kahaa (2002) and Wafaa (2008). But he wasn’t cut out for the game any longer. Over the years, his health deteriorated. The superstar breathed his last on 18 July, 2012. His last rites were followed by a huge procession. It was also preceded by a legal hassle in the Khanna household, led by Dimple and son-in-law Akshay Kumar against Khanna’s alleged live-in partner Anita Advani. A controversial end to a historic life!