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“Early 1970s! India was in the middle of a collective orgasm called Rajesh Khanna. Men aped him. Women of all ages adored him. Some smeared his car with lipstick, wrote letters in blood and married his photograph.” These are the starting lines of the first chapter of Avijith Ghosh’s book “When Ardh Satya met Himmatwala”, that was the sort of craze Rajesh Khanna enjoyed in his life. However, the legend breathed his last on 18 July, 2012. Recalling his memories with the actor, megastar Amitabh Bachchan revealed the last words of Rajesh Khanna. “Time ho gaya hai, pack up”, he said, before breathing his last.
Taking to his blog on July 19, 2012, a day after Rajesh Khanna’s demise, Amitabh Bachchan wrote that a close functionary told him Rajesh’s last words in a choked voice.
Amitabh recalled his long association with India’s first superstar Rajesh whom he first saw as the winner of the Filmfare-Madhuri Talent Contest–the same contest for which Big B too applied the following year but was rejected.
According to Amitabh Bachchan, his next meeting with the superstar was the actor’s film Aradhana, which he watched at the Rivoli Theatre in Connaught Place in New Delhi. “The packed audience and their reactions to this young handsome man was impermeable”, wrote Amitabh.
Amitabh, who had left his settled job in Calcutta to seek the possibilities of joining the film industry confessed in his blog, “But one look at Rajesh Khanna made me realise that with people like him around, there would be little chance of opportunity for me, in this new profession!”
In 1971, Amitabh and Rajesh Khanna were cast together for the film Anand. Recalling the incident, Amitabh wrote, “It was “like a miracle, god’s own blessing and one that gave me reverse respect; the moment that anyone came to know that I was working with the Rajesh Khanna, my importance grew. And I gloated in its wake.”
Calling Rajesh Khanna a “simple and quiet man”, Amitabh recalled, “He would attract many visitors on set and was continuously surrounded by them, Hrishi-da permitting! The frenzy and the following he garnered was a sight to behold. In the 1970 era his fans came from Spain to meet him and a most unheard of occurrence then.”
“In his boyish plainness there was something that was regal in his demeanor. It was the magnet that attracted others to him – who at times were almost servile to him in nature”, concluded Bachchan.
Its been 12 years since India lost one of its best actors–a legend. In June 2012, it was reported that the actor’s health was deteriorating for some time. On June 23, he was admitted to Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai due to health complications. The actor, however, was discharged on July 8 and was reportedly fine.
On 14 July, Khanna was readmitted to the hospital, discharged on 16 July. Two days later, the actor breathed his last at his bungalow Aashirwad in Mumbai. His health was in a bad shape since July 2011 as he was diagnosed with cancer. This was revealed by her co-star Mumtaz post his death.
To attend the actor’s funeral, around 9 lakh people came to Mumbai from across the world. The uncontrollable crowd even led to lathi-charge by police. On a pre-recorded message to his family, friends and fans, the actor reportedly thanked and saluted them all for the love they showered on him and also shared how he became a successful actor without having any godfather behind him.
Rajesh Khanna was married to Dimple Kapadia. The couple has two daughters–Twinkle and Rinke Khanna.
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