RAJESH KHANNA- The One Who Introduced SUPERSTAR in HINDI CINEMA !!!

            511th BLOG POST -->>

       For the youth, its Emraan Hashmi for whom they wait for a good and heart-touching song which will cement its position in their Playlist, but for me, its Rajesh Khanna whose songs are a Power and Favorite time pass for me. Every song of Rajesh Khanna is my favorite. Whenever I catch a glimpse of his songs on Music Channels, I see it even when I know that I am missing the important part of my television program. I love the expressions of Rajesh Khanna in his songs. Either the songs are romantic or sad or joyous, Rajesh Khanna never fails to give perfect expressions and make you fall in love with him and his songs. I blame God for not letting me take birth in the era of Rajesh Khanna or postpone his birth so that he could have been today's hero. :-) Rajesh Khanna is THAT actor who introduced the term- SUPERSTAR in HINDI CINEMA. Even I like him. People talk about Dilip Kumar but for me, its Rajesh Khanna whom I see as a complete and charming actor. Today, Mr. Rajesh Khanna is celebrating his 69th birthday. A Very Very Happy Birthday to my favorite actor. May you live a long life as our nation can't lose a performer like you after Dev Anand. The people like you and Dev Anand are the university for today's actors. We just can't afford losing people like you. :-(


          I still remember when I saw Haathi Mere Saathi for the first time. The death of the elephant in the climax and the tears in the eyes of Rajesh Khanna made me sad for a month. I started loving animals after that. I was a kid and I used to love throwing stones at dogs before watching this, but after watching this movie, I started giving them biscuits and I started loving all the animals. I remember one more movie of Rajesh Khanna where he was about to die and he asks his son to sing a song which he loved to hear from him. The son starts singing and as soon as the song ends, Rajesh Khanna dies. I don't remember the movie but I wept for the whole night. That was the last day when I ignored my father. After that, I try to spend as much time as possible with my father. His song- Kuch toh log kahenge is one of the best motivating songs to me. It helps me whenever I get accusations and allegations from someone. I see the song and I just fuck all those views of public and start living carelessly in terms of those comments. :-) Rajesh Khanna is a power to me. Seeing him on television gives me a strength and happiness. His appearance and performance is so enthralling that you want to be like him and do everything as cheerfully as he does.


          My favorite song of Rajesh Khanna is O Mere Dil Ke Chain, Ye jo mohabbat hai, Karwatein badalte rahein, Kora Kaagaz ka tha, Zindagi ke safar mein, Atcha toh hum chalte hain, Pyaar Deewana hota hai, Ye Shaam Mastani and many many more. I have 5 MP3s of Rajesh Khanna songs with 3 Video CDs too. This is my love for this actor. I remember his role in Aa Ab Laut Chalein where he played the role of father. I was happy to see him back and I wanted him to play characters till his last breathe but everyone is not as lucky as Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor. I had tears in my eyes when he was given Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award. And the Lifetime Achievement Award given to him by Amitabh Bachchan on the behalf of IIFA still remains an epic moment for me. For me, Rajesh Khanna is the original superstar and if any actor stood as a Superstar after him (for me) is Amitabh Bachchan. The only actor today who gives me a feel of SUPERSTAR is Aamir Khan after these two LEGENDS.


           Let me write some excellence and facts about our KAKA in points below:

• He appeared in 163 films of which 105 had him as the solo lead hero and 21 were two hero projects.

• Rajesh Khanna is referred to as the “First Superstar” of Hindi cinema.

• When Jeetendra went for his first film audition, it was Khanna who tutored him.

• Rajesh Khanna was one of eight finalists in the 1965 All India Talent Contest organised by United Producers and Filmfare from more than ten thousand contestants. Subsequently Khanna won the contest.

• The Kishore Kumar-Rajesh Khanna combination worked miracles and it was almost impossible to see them as separate identities.

• In year 1971, Haathi Mere Saathi became the biggest hit and also became the biggest grosser ever till then.

• Khanna is also credited with giving Salim Akhtar and Javed Akhtar their first chance to become screenplay writers by offering them work in Haathi Mere Saathi.

• Mumtaz was quoted saying "I would pull his leg and tease him about his fan following. Whenever Rajesh entered a hotel in Madras, there was a queue of 600 girls waiting to see him at midnight. As a result, even I would get some importance, as people would ask for my autograph as well. He was very generous with his associates, and would party a lot."

• During the peak of his career he would be mobbed during public appearances. Fans kissed his car, which would be covered with lipstick marks, and lined the road, cheering and chanting his name. Female fans sent him letters written in their blood. There used to be a line of cars of his producers and hysterical fans outside his bungalow every day.

• Girls married themselves to photographs of Rajesh Khanna, cutting their fingers and applying the blood as sindoor. Rajesh was God, there has never been such hysteria.

• Sharmila Tagore said in interview to India Express, “Women came out in droves to see Kaka (Khanna). They would stand in queues outside the studios to catch a glimpse, they would marry his photographs, they would pull at his clothes. Delhi girls were crazier for him than Mumbai girls. He needed police protection when he was in public. I have never seen anything like this before and since.”

• Rajesh Khanna had 15 consecutive solo superhits between 1969 to 1972, which is still an unbroken record in Indian film history.

• Akshay Kumar was a fan of Khanna since his childhood and later when he became Khanna's son-in-law, he told "Look at what destiny had in store for me. I married my idol's daughter! I still can't believe it. Who wasn't his fan in the 1970s? I remember queuing up for hours to watch Aradhana, Amar Prem, Kati Patang. These are among my favourite films of all times."

             And Yes, its true that I started liking Akshay Kumar more after I came to know that he has become son-in-law of Rajesh Khanna. :-) Today, Salman Khan is known for having the biggest fan-following in film industry but when asked, Salman always says that its Rajesh Khanna who had the biggest and I have no such fan-following as he had. Rajesh Khanna introduced the term SUPERSTAR in Bollywood and he will remain to be the one for years as there is no actor who can overcome his greatness and legacy. I love you sir. I still believe that you will turn younger once again and a new movie of yours will release very soon. :-) 

           Thanks. 

ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU