Rajesh Khanna was the first real super star of Hindi film industry. The kind of popularity and craze that was part of his stardom was probably never experienced by any actor to this day. Besides being a crowd puller Rajesh Khanna was also a stylish and very talented actor having acted in some great classics . He passed away at the age of 70, 4 years ago..In this article link , a few facts taken from his life have been given along with some rare photographs of him and his family.
Kalyani Nandurkar wrote:I have not seem many of his movies but I really liked him in Anand and Amar Prem. He was a brilliant actor.
Anand is one of my favorite films and other films that I really liked were Ittefaq, The train and Avtaar with Shabana Azmi . Rajesh Khanna had a lot of charm !
Most of the film actors need props to get where they reach, like good directors, melodious music besides good films. Rajesh Khanna was lucky to have got a lot of good films with powerful story lines and foot tapping music. Besides all these he was also given excellent coverage by the film magazines and the media which was also helpful in making him successful.
Apparently there was a time when Amitabh Bachan at the height of his career and when he was involved with Rekha, refused to have anything to do with the media and as a result his films suffered. Later he apologised to the media and had a press conference after which it was back to square one. But Rajesh Khanna seems to have managed the media and his publicity very well.
Rajesh Khanna was supposed to have been a very complicated individual and wished to play martyr in films because he felt, he would get maximum sympathy from the audience which is why in films like Anand, Andaz,Aradhana, Safar,Namak Haram , the character played by him died !
His marriage too did not last beyond the first 5 or 6 years after which he was involved with actress Tina Munim for a while and after she got married to Anil Ambani , Rajesh Khanna led a lonely life .
rambabu wrote:With only media support none become a Super Star. Many factors like success at Box office and a strong Production Team can make a Super Star.
Media in 70's was not strong like present time. At that time media means Magzins and papers. Talent of Khanna made him super star.
usha manohar wrote:Rajesh Khanna was supposed to have been a very complicated individual and wished to play martyr in films because he felt, he would get maximum sympathy from the audience which is why in films like Anand, Andaz,Aradhana, Safar,Namak Haram , the character played by him died !
His marriage too did not last beyond the first 5 or 6 years after which he was involved with actress Tina Munim for a while and after she got married to Anil Ambani , Rajesh Khanna led a lonely life .
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Rajesh-Khanna-there-would-never-be-another-like-him/articleshow/15042199.cms
Thanks for sharing this link. First girl friend of Khanna was Anju Mahindra. In for lonely life Khanna him self was responsible. He failed to adjust with changing time. He forgot no person is powerful than time.
usha manohar wrote:Rajesh Khanna acted in a couple of old black and white films and I have seen Baharon ke sapne with Asha Parekh which was shot in black and white and also Aakhri Khat which was a very absorbing and touching film produced by Chetan Anand. Had very melodious music by Khayyam !
I didn't seen both movie. Anand is also black and white film but know it is colored. Rajesh Khanna done two best film of his carrier with Asha Parkeh, Kati Patang and AAn Milo Sajna. I read in interview of Asha Parekh that later Khanna refuse film with Asha because of her age.
Very few of Rjesh Khanna's movies were directed by South Directors. Under the direction of a Tamil director Jambu. Apna Desh a movie based on a successful Telugu Movie, kathanayakudu in Hindi was produced.
. Rajesh Khanna and Mumtaz enacted the lead roles. RD's Musical score was a tremendous hit with songs like Duniya Mein logon ko dhoka... Suno champa
anil wrote:usha manohar wrote:Rajesh Khanna acted in a couple of old black and white films and I have seen Baharon ke sapne with Asha Parekh which was shot in black and white and also Aakhri Khat which was a very absorbing and touching film produced by Chetan Anand. Had very melodious music by Khayyam !
I didn't seen both movie. Anand is also black and white film but know it is colored. Rajesh Khanna done two best film of his carrier with Asha Parkeh, Kati Patang and AAn Milo Sajna. I read in interview of Asha Parekh that later Khanna refuse film with Asha because of her age.
One can believe that because he was apparently quite old fashioned in his thinking having done his level best to stop his wife Dimple from taking up acting .. While Kati Patang was a good role for him, Aan milo sajna was just an entertainer without much depth in it, nothing compared his older films ..
usha manohar wrote:anil wrote:usha manohar wrote:Rajesh Khanna acted in a couple of old black and white films and I have seen Baharon ke sapne with Asha Parekh which was shot in black and white and also Aakhri Khat which was a very absorbing and touching film produced by Chetan Anand. Had very melodious music by Khayyam !
I didn't seen both movie. Anand is also black and white film but know it is colored. Rajesh Khanna done two best film of his carrier with Asha Parkeh, Kati Patang and AAn Milo Sajna. I read in interview of Asha Parekh that later Khanna refuse film with Asha because of her age.
One can believe that because he was apparently quite old fashioned in his thinking having done his level best to stop his wife Dimple from taking up acting .. While Kati Patang was a good role for him, Aan milo sajna was just an entertainer without much depth in it, nothing compared his older films ..
He was quite old fashioned in many ways, not just he tried to stop Dimple but he was quite egoistic and had grown the superstar attitude which really was the cause of his downfall. Unlike Amitabh Bachchan who is so humble and gentle and so he is still the star in the eyes of his fans.But that part aside, Rajesh Khanna was really the pioneer of films with larger than life heroes, earlier films portrayed heroes as more simpler with which a common man could relate to.
Rajesh Khanna, after a series Mega Hits, success has gone to his head. He failed miserably In handling success. He thought that he will remain as Super star forever. He took to bottle and ultimately he died of Liver cancer. Where as Amitabh Bachchan is a picture of humility. He treated both success and failure alike. That's why even today he's in much demand.
Kalyani Nandurkar wrote:usha manohar wrote:anil wrote:usha manohar wrote:Rajesh Khanna acted in a couple of old black and white films and I have seen Baharon ke sapne with Asha Parekh which was shot in black and white and also Aakhri Khat which was a very absorbing and touching film produced by Chetan Anand. Had very melodious music by Khayyam !
I didn't seen both movie. Anand is also black and white film but know it is colored. Rajesh Khanna done two best film of his carrier with Asha Parkeh, Kati Patang and AAn Milo Sajna. I read in interview of Asha Parekh that later Khanna refuse film with Asha because of her age.
One can believe that because he was apparently quite old fashioned in his thinking having done his level best to stop his wife Dimple from taking up acting .. While Kati Patang was a good role for him, Aan milo sajna was just an entertainer without much depth in it, nothing compared his older films ..
He was quite old fashioned in many ways, not just he tried to stop Dimple but he was quite egoistic and had grown the superstar attitude which really was the cause of his downfall. Unlike Amitabh Bachchan who is so humble and gentle and so he is still the star in the eyes of his fans.But that part aside, Rajesh Khanna was really the pioneer of films with larger than life heroes, earlier films portrayed heroes as more simpler with which a common man could relate to.
It is also our own society that lifts the celebrities up to a demi god status that makes the super stars become so arrogant. They begin to think that they really are super special beings who can get away with anything ..
This reminds me an incident, that took place very long ago. At that time, the top most actors reigning supreme in the Telugu Movie Industry were N. T. Rama Rao and Nageswara Rao. Just after the release of Patal Bhairavi, a very big Box Office hit, I overheard an interesting discussion between two groups. N.T. Rama Rao, who acted as the hero in the said movie was being praised for his heroic deeds in the movie by the N. T. Rama Rao fans. Reacting to the incident, Nageswara Rao fans said, that it was nothing. And added, that had it been, Nageswara Rao, he would have done more adventurous and thrilling deeds. Needless to say, the discussion led to a big fight. Police had to intervene. This is how people lift these actors in to a demigod.
@kiran8