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Rajesh Khanna had been out of the limelight for several years when his daughter, Twinkle Khanna, made her acting debut in 1995. He had a first-hand perspective on the perils of the film business, having experienced the pinnacle of success, and also a drastic downfall when his movies stopped working. His fall from grace also affected his marriage with Dimple Kapadia, who left him in the 1980s with their two daughters, Twinkle and Rinke.
He emerged out of obscurity to attend an event for Twinkle’s film Itihaas, where he spoke about being out of action, and the piece of advice that he gave her when she decided to take the plunge in the movie business. In an old interview shared on the Lehren Retro YouTube channel, when the gathered photographers called out to Twinkle to smile for the camera, Rajesh, who was standing beside her, remarked, “There was a time when you would call out to me and ask me to smile, now you’re calling out to her.”
Also read – When Dimple Kapadia knew marriage with Rajesh Khanna ‘wouldn’t work’ the moment she set foot in his house
When it was pointed out to him that he’s rarely seen at such events any more, he said, “I live in Delhi now, that’s why I’m not seen as often here.” Asked how he gives advice and inspiration to Twinkle all the way from Delhi, he said, “She often asks me for advice, and I tell her that I had no godfather in the industry when I started out, and that she must find her own way as well. I told her not to seek advice from her mother as well, because if she asks her mother for advice, she’ll only get more confused.”
Dimple Kapadia with Rajesh Khanna.
He was also asked if he’s planning on making a comeback to the film industry, and he said, “Well, it has been six years now, and all I can say is that one should be where one belongs. So, let’s hope for the best.” After a series of box office disappointments, Rajesh Khanna stepped away from the industry in 1991, when he had three releases – Begunah, Rupaye Dus Karod, and Ghar Parivar.
Dimple Kapadia had remarked about witnessing his downfall from close quarters, and had described it as a ‘pathetic sight’. She’d said in a 1995 interview with India Today, “When a successful man goes to pieces, his frustration engulfs the entire surroundings. It was a pathetic sight when Rajesh waited at the end of the week for collection figures but the people didn’t have the guts to come and tell him.”
She had also praised Twinkle for showing maturity in the aftermath of her separation from Rajesh Khanna, and had said at a FICCI FLO event, “She’s an amazing child. She must have been all of seven or eight when I got separated. The kind of maturity… She was only wanting to take care of me, to see if I was okay, if everything was alright with me. There are lots of things I can’t say because of you know what… But she was like my friend. Then she turned into a monster mother.”
After a short-lived career as an actor, Twinkle turned to writing, and now hosts conversations and writes columns.
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