Bollywood
Remembering Rajesh Khanna: The actor for whom the word ‘superstar’ was coined
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)
Mumbai, May 6: Global icon Shah Rukh Khan made a dazzling debut at the Met Gala 2025, setting the red carpet ablaze with his signature charm and style. His longtime friend Karan Johar couldn’t hold back, declaring, “the internet didn’t just broke into a gazillion hearts” the moment he stepped out.
Karan Johar to Shah Rukh Khan: All hail the king of the MET
Mumbai, Global icon Shah Rukh Khan made a dazzling debut at the Met Gala 2025, setting the red carpet ablaze with his signature charm and style. His longtime friend Karan Johar couldn’t hold back, declaring, “the internet didn’t just broke into a gazillion hearts” the moment he stepped out.
Wearing a sharp ensemble by Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Shah Rukh looked dapper in a floor-sweeping black trench coat layered over an unbuttoned shirt. He completed chunky jewellery including eye-popping diamond-studded pendants emblazoned with “K”.
To add to the drama, he carried a walking stick with a tiger-top, which was completely in sync with this year’s theme “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style”.
Karan took to his Instagram, where he shared a video of Shah Rukh walking out in style. The filmmaker captioned it: “All hail the king of the MET!!! The internet just broke into a gazillion hearts!!! Bhai you rule.”
He then shared a picture of Shah Rukh originally posted by the star’s manager Pooja Dadlani and wrote: “The King” along with the song “Here Comes The Hotstepper” playing in the background.
As per reports, Shah Rukh posed, smiled, waved and even treated fans with his signature pose.
The 2025 theme “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” is inspired by Monica L Miller’s book Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity, published in 2009. The fashion gala for the first time has put the spotlight on menswear.
The Met Gala is the annual haute couture fundraising festival held for the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in Manhattan. The Met Gala is popularly regarded as the world’s most prestigious and glamorous fashion event.
Attendees are given the opportunity to express themselves through fashion, often producing elaborate and highly publicized outfits inspired by the evening’s theme and broader cultural context.
Mumbai, May 1: Actress Sonali Kulkarni, who has been appointed as a brand ambassador of Maharashtra’s Public Service Commission, is celebrating Maharashtra Day on Thursday.
The actress is deeply in love with the state, which accounts for the highest GSDP in the country.
She revealed that she has completed the Konkan trail on foot taking inspiration from her father, who is an avid hiker.
The actress works across Marathi and Hindi cinema, and has been given the honour alongside music composer Shankar Mahadevan.
Speaking on the occasion of Maharashtra Day, the actress told Media, “May 1 holds a special place in my heart. It marks both Maharashtra Day and International Labour Day. I deeply value every individual who contributes through their work, whether it’s a makeup artist, someone from the production team, or support staff. I respect and appreciate the effort and time each person puts in. I consider myself a worker too, both at home and in my field. I’m not shy of doing any kind of work, and I take pride in every person who brings their labour and talent to the table.”
The actress called Maharashtra, a diverse land of artists and sportspersons, as she said, “In our national pledge, we say ‘sampanna aur vividhta se bhara desh’ and Maharashtra reflects that beautifully. We have exceptional writers, sportspersons, actors, and artists in the Marathi industry. Our language is rich and musical; it carries a unique rhythm, a ‘naad’ of its own. I speak fairly good Marathi and deeply love our traditions and cultural landscape. Maharashtra is a treasure trove of art and heritage. It’s my dream to take my family to all the forts I’ve visited.”
She further mentioned, “My father, an avid hiker, has explored every fort in the state. We’ve completed the entire Konkan walking path. My mother, a Warkari, once walked from Anandi to Pandharpur — a tradition I dream of following someday. I love our music, our deities, and our folk culture. I feel truly blessed — by default — to be born in Maharashtra.”
Sonali was feted as the brand ambassador of Maharashtra’s Public Service Commission with greetings from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Chief Secretary of Maharashtra Sujata Saunik and Ashish Shelar.
“It makes me feel very proud. Shankar Mahadevan ji and I will be the faces for this initiative. In the Ramayana, there was a small squirrel who helped Ram and his army to build the bridge to Lanka. She was tiny but did her bit. I feel equally responsible and powerful to be the messenger of the government for the public. As an actor, I believe it is my duty to support and contribute positively to the efforts of the government wherever I can,” she added.
Mumbai, April 19: The who’s who of the Indian film industry are set to attend the WAVES (World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit) in Mumbai.
On Saturday, Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Union Minister of Railways of India took to his X, formerly Twitter, and shared a promotional video featuring the biggest stars of Indian cinema including Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Vikrant Massey and Nagarjuna.
In the video, the actors talk about the upcoming event, and also reveal that the conversation will be taken forward by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi.
It’s also revealed in the video that the event will see thought leaders from the entertainment industry, and pioneers across the industries lending their inputs to the event.
The World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) is a global platform that unites pioneers, visionaries, and aspiring creatives from the Media and Entertainment (M&E) industry.
The event is organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in collaboration with the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and the Create in India Challenge, and is poised to be a groundbreaking forum for discussions, collaborations, and transformative innovations.
It is sponsored by Netflix and orchestrated by Reskilll, and is set to redefine the future of storytelling, filmmaking, and digital content creation.
Waves Summit 2025 has been nothing short of extraordinary. With over 3,000 applications, only the top 600 candidates were meticulously selected and trained, ensuring a pool of highly skilled and passionate participants. The ‘Trailer Making Competition’, the event’s crown jewel, saw an overwhelming 134 entries, showcasing an array of creative talents eager to make their mark in the industry.
The event has seen over 3,000 applications, of which top 600 candidates have been selected and trained, ensuring a pool of highly skilled and passionate participants. The event is set to be held in Mumbai from May 1 to May 4 in the BKC area of Mumbai.
India and Pakistan to stop all firing and military action: MEA
Trump says India and Pakistan ‘agree to full and immediate ceasefire’
Maharashtra Cyber Department warns against fake news circulation amid rising India-Pak tensions
PCB postpones men’s domestic tournaments with immediate effect amid India-Pak tensions
Missile-like object falls into Srinagar’s Dal Lake, drone shot down over Srinagar airfield
Maha Cabinet clears amendments for removal of presidents of municipal councils, municipal panchayats & industrial towns
Loudspeakers of mosques in Mumbai, Kirit Somaiya’s notice against mosques, threat of deteriorating atmosphere, police notice to maintain law and order,
Strong 5.8 magnitude earthquake in Afghanistan; tremors felt in Delhi-NCR, J&K
Security forces release sketches, photos of terrorists who carried out Pahalgam attack
Houses of three LeT terrorists demolished in J&K (Lead)
-
Crime3 years agoClass 10 student jumps to death in Jaipur
-
Maharashtra7 months agoMumbai Local Train Update: Central Railway’s New Timetable Comes Into Effect; Check Full List Of Revised Timings & Stations
-
Maharashtra7 months agoMumbai To Go Toll-Free Tonight! Maharashtra Govt Announces Complete Toll Waiver For Light Motor Vehicles At All 5 Entry Points Of City
-
Maharashtra8 months agoFalse photo of Imtiaz Jaleel’s rally, exposing the fooling conspiracy
-
National News7 months agoMinistry of Railways rolls out Special Drive 4.0 with focus on digitisation, cleanliness, inclusiveness and grievance redressal
-
Crime7 months agoBaba Siddique Murder: Mumbai Police Unable To Get Lawrence Bishnoi Custody Due To Home Ministry Order, Says Report
-
Maharashtra6 months agoMaharashtra Elections 2024: Mumbai Metro & BEST Services Extended Till Midnight On Voting Day
-
National News8 months agoJ&K: 4 Jawans Killed, 28 Injured After Bus Carrying BSF Personnel For Poll Duty Falls Into Gorge In Budgam; Terrifying Visuals Surface