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Remembering Rajesh Khanna: The actor for whom the word ‘superstar’ was coined

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3 years ago

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 Rajesh Khanna was a natural. His biographer Gautam Chintamani recalls the director-writer-actor Rumi Jaffery saying how he can “never forget how Rajesh Khanna prided himself on never using aids like glycerine to evoke tears while acting”.

Jaffery recalled in a conversation with Chintamani: “He would ask you, ‘How many tears do you need?’, and just turn around for a moment or two; and when he turned back, there would be tears in his eyes. You could wake him up in the middle of the night and he would just stand and deliver when it came to tears.”

Chintamani will be collaborating with director Farah Khan on the script, based on his book, ‘Dark Star: The Loneliness Of Being Rajesh Khanna’, for a biopic on India’s first superstar.

“Once, Jaffery and (cinematographer) Sameer Arya instructed Rajesh Khanna to randomly shed a few tears in a hotel’s lift lobby and Khanna readily dispelled a few before the lift emerged,” Chintamani writes in the book.

And, there was no end to his ire when aroused.

“There were times when rumours of his sudden death flooded the Internet and saw his fans paying rich tributes on social media sites. Once, an infuriated Khanna walked to the main gate of Aashirwad in his favourite silk lungi-kurta with a cigarette and drink in tow only to prove to a journalist that, contrary to rumours, he was still alive,” Chintamai writes.

It was this strength of character that prompted Rajesh Khanna to appear in his first TV commercial — perhaps to the horror of some, but to the immense delight of a legion of admirers — and boldly declaim: “Fans kya hote hain mujhse poochho. Pyaar ka woh toofan … mohabbat ki woh aandhi .. woh jazbaa … woh junoon. Hawaa badal sakti hai lekin fans hamesha mere rahenge. Babumoshai, mere fans mujhse koi nahin chheen sakta (I will tell you what fans are. That storm of love … that passion … that madness. The direction of the wind may change, but my fans will always stay with me. Babumoshai, no one can steal my fans from me).”

This was only to be expected from an actor showered with love by a generation of fans who had grown up on three immensely poignant songs from his movie ‘Anand’: “Zindagi Kaise Hai Paheli”, “Kahin Door Jab Din Dhal Jaaye” and “Maine Tere Liye Hi Saat Rang Ke Sapne Chune”.

Sure, there were a procession of hit songs from his 17 consecutive hit films as the lead hero from 1969 to 1971, which included 15 solo-hero films and two non-solo-hero films. “Zindagi Ek Safar Hai Suhana” and “Yeh Shaam Mastani” are just two, but listen carefully to the lyrics from ‘Anand’ and you will get a measure of what Rajesh Khanna’s guiding philosophy was all about.

Sharmila Tagore, his co-star in ‘Aradhana’, which began his journey to superstardom, sums this up the best in the foreword to Chintamani’s book: “If ever a life was meant to be a book, few could stake a stronger claim. Like a shooting star doomed to darkness after a glorious run, Rajesh Khanna spent the better half of his career in the shadow of his own stardom. Yet, 40 years after his last monstrous hit, Khanna continues to be the yardstick by which every single Bollywood star is measured.”

She recalls: “At a time when film stars were truly larger than life, Khanna was even more: the one for whom the term ‘superstar’ was coined. Born Jatin Khanna to middle-class parents, the actor was adopted by rich relatives who brought him up like a prince.

“By the time he won the Filmfare-United Producers Combine Talent Hunt, he was already famous for being the struggler who drove an imported sports car.

“With 17 blockbuster hits in succession and mass adulation rarely seen before or since, the world was at Khanna’s feet. Everything he touched turned to gold. The hysteria he generated — women writing him letters in blood, marrying his photograph and donning white when he married Dimple Kapadia, people bringing sick children for his ‘healing’ touch after ‘Haathi Mere Saathi’ — was unparalleled.

“Then, in a matter of months, it all changed. Khanna’s career hit a downward spiral, as spectacular as his meteoric rise just three years after ‘Aradhana’ (1969) and never really recovered.”

Adman-filmmaker R. Balki, who directed Rajesh Khanna in the TV commercial, roundly deprecates the criticism that the actor had been depicted in poor light in the 35-second spot, saying it only points to his strength of character.

“My response to it (the criticism) is simple,” he said in an interview after the commercial was aired. “If a man is great enough to laugh at himself, why should anyone have a problem? When he wasn’t doing anything on screen all these years, people were making all kinds of jokes about it. When a legend chooses to laugh at himself, then some people start getting uncomfortable. I don’t even think that they are Rajesh Khanna fans in the first place. … He’s the one who is cracking a joke at himself, he is sporting enough to say, ‘Yes, I am not what I used to be. But so what!'”

Legendary script-writer Salim Khan, who in tandem with Javed Akhtar, has penned some of Bollywood’s most memorable films, provides a balanced perspective in his foreword to an earlier biography, ‘Rajesh Khanna: The Untold Story of India’s First Superstar’, by journalist-author Yaseer Usman.

Salim Khan writes in the Foreword: “Today, my son Salman Khan is a big star. Crowds cluster daily in front of our house to catch a glimpse of him. People often come to me and say that they haven’t seen such a craze for any star before this.

“But I tell these people that just a small distance away from here, on Carter Road, I have witnessed many such sights in front of Aashirwad. And I have never seen that kind of mass adulation for any other star after Rajesh Khanna.”

Salim Khan concludes: “We often forget when we talk about film stars or public figures that they are also human beings who also make mistakes, face failure and are scared of losing their successful run professionally, like everyone else.”

One thing is for sure: It has been a decade since Rajesh Khanna departed from this world, but his legacy will continue to live for generations to come.

(Vishnu Makhijani can be reached at vishnu.makhijani@ians.in)

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Hrithik Roshan turns director for ‘Krish 4’ produced by Aditya Chopra

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8 hours ago

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March 28, 2025

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Mumbai, March 28: Actor Hrithik Roshan is set to turn director for the upcoming film ‘Krrish 4’, and take the baton from his father Rakesh Roshan for the franchise. The development of the fourth installment of India’s biggest superhero franchise has been confirmed by Rakesh Roshan, who has helmed the earlier 3 parts of the franchise.

The film is being produced by Yash Raj Films in association with Rakesh Roshan. The Indian superstar Hrithik Roshan will be swinging between the two departments of direction and acting for the film as he essays the titular superhero in the franchise. The shooting for the film is set to begin early next year.

Confirming the development Rakesh Roshan said, “I’m passing the baton of the director of Krrish 4 to my son, Hrithik Roshan, who has lived, breathed and dreamt about this franchise since its inception with me! Hrithik has a clear and a very ambitious vision of taking Krrish’s journey forward with the audience for the next decades”.

He further mentioned, “I couldn’t be more proud to see him wear the director’s hat for a film that means the world to us as a family. ‘Krrish’ has entertained audiences the world over and Hrithik will now reveal the next chapters of this superhero saga and take the vision I created so many years ago to greater heights”.

The department of direction is not something new for Hrithik as he worked as an assistant director on the sets of films like ‘Karan Arjun’, directed by his father. In fact, it was Hrithik, who started the trend of actors learning the ropes on a film set, gaining practical knowledge of the technicalities involved in filmmaking, and eventually venturing into acting with the wealth of filmmaking knowledge.

Rakesh Roshan is thrilled that Aditya Chopra is taking over the reigns of ‘Krrish 4’ as the producer.

He further mentioned, “It brings me so much joy to see someone like Adi as the producer of Krrish 4. It was he who convinced Hrithik to sit in the director’s chair. Adi and Yash Raj Films have the knowledge, understanding and technological might to produce this film and add great value to this project”.

“Hrithik and Adi coming together as a producer-director pair with me behind them is a rare and deliciously creative combination! I’m sure they will turn Krrish 4 into a theatrical experience that has never been made in India. The dream is to make India proud globally with a larger than life experience like ‘Krrish 4’”, he added.

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Aamir Khan vs Salman Khan: Face-Off to determine who is the real ‘Sikandar’

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3 days ago

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March 25, 2025

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Mumbai, March 25: In a battle of Bollywood giants, Aamir Khan and Salman Khan are facing off to claim the title of the real ‘Sikandar.’

As both stars have made significant marks in their careers with iconic roles, the question of who truly deserves the title of ‘Sikandar’ has even left filmmaker AR Murugadoss in a tough position. On Tuesday, Salman shared a video of him with Aamir and Murugadoss on his Instagram handle, writing, “Amar Prem ka Andaaz with AR Murugadoss! #SikandarMeetsGhajini #AamirKhan #SajidNadiadwala’s #Sikandar Directed by @a.r.murugadoss.”

In the video, the trio can be seen seated, engaged in an intriguing conversation. The clip opens with Aamir asking AR Murugadoss, “Between me and Salman, who is the real Sikandar?” The filmmaker is seen with a serious expression on his face.

Interestingly, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan share a great rapport. They had previously worked together in the iconic film “Andaz Apna Apna.” The two superstars often show mutual support for each other’s films, and this camaraderie is evident as part of Salman’s upcoming film “Sikandar” promotions. Not to forget, the ‘Wanted’ actor even made an appearance at the screening of Aamir Khan’s son Junaid’s debut film, showing his support for the young actor.

Meanwhile, Salman is currently busy promoting his next project, “Sikandar,” which marks his first on-screen pairing with Rashmika Mandanna. On March 23, the makers dropped its highly awaited trailer, packed with action and suspense. In the trailer, the ‘Dabangg’ actor takes on the titular role of Sikandar, a man driven by a strong sense of purpose.

Speaking at the trailer launch, the actor spoke about the age gap between superstars and younger actresses, sharing his thoughts on the evolving dynamics in the film industry. In his trademark style, Salman stated, “I have a 31-year age difference between me and the heroine. The heroine doesn’t have this problem. The heroine’s father doesn’t have this problem.” He then turned towards Rashmika and asked her, “You don’t have this problem, right?”

Produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, “Sikandar” is set to release in theatres on March 30, 2025.

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Emraan Hashmi announces ‘Awarapan 2’ on b’day, to release on April 3, 2026

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4 days ago

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March 24, 2025

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Mumbai, March 24: On the occasion of his 46th birthday on Monday, actor Emraan Hashmi treated his fans by announcing the sequel of “Awarapan”, which has been locked for April 3, 2026 release.

“Bas mujhe kuch aur der zinda rakh… #Awarapan2 in cinemas, 3rd April 2026. #Awarapan2 @Visheshb7 @Visheshfilms #MukeshBhatt #VisheshFilms,” Emraan captioned the post.

The sequel is a tribute to all the fans who have loved and celebrated Awarapan and unwavering dedication of Shivam, the character Emraan essayed in “Awarapan”.

Reuniting with Vishesh Films, the film is set for a theatrical release directed by Nitin Kakkar, written by Bilal Siddiqui and produced by Vishesh Bhatt. Promising to be an intense action drama, Awarapan 2 picks up where Shivam’s story left off, bringing back the grit, emotions, unforgettable moments and blockbuster music that made Awarapan a cult classic.

The partnership between Emraan Hashmi and Vishesh Films has created magic with films such as Jannat, Murder, Raaz, Gangster, Hamari Adhuri Kahani and Awarapan.

Currently in pre-production, the film is gearing up to go on floors soon.

An action crime film, “Awarapan” released in 2007. Directed by Mohit Suri, the film was an uncredited remake of the South Korean film A Bittersweet Life.

It stars Emraan Hashmi, Shriya Saran, Mrinalini Sharma, and Ashutosh Rana. In the film, gangster Shivam Pandit is ordered by his boss Bharat Malik to watch over Reema, Malik’s secret Pakistani mistress.

Emraan was last seen in the action thriller “Tiger 3” starring Salman Khan in 2023. Directed by Maneesh Sharma, it is the fifth instalment in the YRF Spy Universe and a third part to Ek Tha Tiger and Tiger Zinda Hai.

“Tiger 3” explores the origins of a mutual connection between Tiger and Zoya and also follows Tiger and Zoya’s attempts to fight off Zoya’s former mentor, Aatish Rehman, a rogue ISI agent, who uses them to stage a coup against the Government of Pakistan in pursuit of a destructive agenda against India.

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