It has become the craze for bloggers to blog about people they admire following their death.This includes me. Cynical but sadly true. After this blogpost, I would do my best to reverse this trend.The people who we admire and cherish, need to be cherished in life and death and not just after death.
Yesterday, after months and weeks of rumors and speculations and false RIPs doing the round and reports of severe illness, The first superstar of hindi cinema, Rajesh Khanna passed away leaving his fans and family heartbroken.Truly saddening and heartbreaking as he was only 69.
Image source : http://www.boloindia.com/filmography-rajesh-khanna-superstar-bollywood/rajesh-khanna/#.UAdHao6Hp94
The last years of his life, which were in oblivion and spent battling alcoholism and health issues, were a sharp contrast to the times when he blazed the screens and set the hearts of millions afire. With his handsome, charming smiling personality, when he was on the top and later in the last 20 years, just relegated to forgettable roles in films/serials and a sad image of his former self, battling alcoholism amongst other things.
He represented the most elegant and exquisite of heroes, with style, class, pizazz, trademark styles, well dressed, wooing with charm and grace, conveying through more of facial gestures and words, unlike later on heroes who made the act of love and wooing into a monkey business. In this, he joins Dev Anand. Sadly, in later times, both relegated in the backyard of films, as they could never outgrow their trademark style.
During the 1970s he produced a spate of blockbusters and his charm and charisma dazzled millions. Kishore Kumar ‘s voice was associated with him in truly unforgettable numbers which will remain evergreen. Ranging from Mere Sapnon ke rani cab aayi gee too ~ that classic, serenading song for lovers, with Sharmila Tagore ~ where KK and he matched wonderfully (Aradhana), Roop Tera Mastana ( seduction at its best), Yeh Shaam Mastani (Kati Patang, Yearning love), O Mere Dil ke Chain ( Soothing romance, from Mere Jeevan Saathi), Chala jaata hoon, Yeh Jo Mohabbat hai.
He has serenaded many popular and beautiful heroines of the day. He and Sharmila Tagore made a made for each other couple, in so many hit and memorable films, as exemplified by their chemistry in the songs below. Asha Parekh, Tanuja, Nanda, Hema Malini, Mumtaz were other glorious heroines with whom he was paired
There have been some wonderful songs with playback by Rafi Saab. These include Gulabi Aankhein, which some would consider to be more Shammi Kapoor-ish.
Amongst his unforgettable films are Aradhana ( Rajesh Khanna in double roles, truly a memorable and touching film) and Anand where he breaks hearts in the role of that brave yet cheerful at heart dying patient.
Zindagi kaisi hai paheli haye… Manna Dey playbacked this song.
In his personal life, he stunned the world by marrying the very young Dimple Kapadia who was barely 16 and had not released her first film Bobby. Though they became estranged, after a few years, he had two children with her, Twinkle and Rinke Khanna. And credit goes to Dimple, for remaining with him during the months of his illness and the time of his death..
He also dabbled in politics, being the Congress representative from New Delhi constituency. But he did not stay very long in the limelight of politics
His death makes such songs prescient.. Zindagi ka safar hai yeh kaisa safar, koi samjha nahin, koi jaana nahin..Truly, these songs have immortalized the combination of Kishore Da and Rajesh Khanna..
Truly, Rajesh Khannna ji, you will always remain alive in our hearts and minds, capturing the hearts of generations gone and generations to come..
May you be peaceful, wherever you are..
I liked the honest beginning to the post which is about the fact that we suddenly are sad after the death of someone whether a celebrity or a normal human being ( that is a a topic for discussion on another day).
Rajesh Khanna – I never really liked him. Maybe the fact that I grew up on the successor – the Angry Young Man. And I never liked romantic movies. However i distinctly remember watching many of his movies as the folks liked him. To me Anand & Avatar remains his best work. He like Dev Anand was a hero of our parents generation.
He and his movies were unique in the fact that he was a rare hero who kept dying and usually due to some chronic ailment. Can’t remember whether he played the role of alcoholic who died due to that.
Lastly he to me would be remembered as the face of Kishore Kumar’s voice. The way both worked magic each other was pure bliss.
very well said. To be honest, i never really appreciated Rajesh Khanna till a few months before, when i decided to watch Kati Patang, Amar prem and Aradhana on you tube or something. Then I understood what was it in him which mesmerized millions. Truly Outstanding and he really won my heart. Somehow I feel sad that such a superstar as him, had such a sad last few years.. unlike dev Anand, who till the very end, was committed to the end and showed a true joy of living. Different people, different fates.
And He acted very sensitively in those movies. Truly, he appealed to the emotions with his sweetness. That is where the difference between him and Amitabh is I guess.
Howsoever, he and Dev Anand join my favorites and my notions of my ideal film hero. They wove magic. Actually that generation was like that. I really regret his passing. Too early. But those movies and songs are treasures.
very well said. To be honest, i never really appreciated Rajesh Khanna till a few months before%rC when i decided to watch Kati Patang, Amar prem and Aradhana on you tube or something. Then I understood what was it in him which mesmerized millions. Truly Outstanding and he really won my heart. Somehow I feel sad that such a superstar as him, had such a sad last few years.. unlike dev Anand, who till the very end, was committed to the end and showed a true joy of living. Different people, different fates.
And He acted very sensitively in those movies. Truly, he appealed to the emotions with his sweetness. That is where the difference between him and Amitabh is I guess.
Howsoever, he and Dev Anand join my favorites and my notions of my ideal film hero. They wove magic. Actually that generation was like that. I really regret his p!ssing. Too early. But those movies and songs are treasures.
Mam, do u remember dat screen appearance of Kaka when he was awarded lifetime achievement award and he said few lines? I wud like to reproduce some lines of it here- ‘izzatein, shohratein, ulfatein, chahatein…sab kuch is duniya mein rehta nahin, kal main tha jahaan wahaan aaj koi aur hai, kal koi aur hoga, woh bhi ek daur tha, yeh bhi ek daur hai’….u know when I saw this piece of clip, my heart sank. I felt the pain wid which Kaka said these lines. As if he was trying to say- ‘may be this is my last screen appearance re…’….and then we had this havells advertisement where he said ‘mere fan mujhse koi nahin chheen sakta…’ so true na? once a RK fan, always a RK fan….and he and Kishore Da were simply amazing….it ws as if RK immortalised KK’s voice wid his elegance and charm….be it sad ‘kuch toh log kahenge and chingari koi bhadke’ or bit peppy one ‘mere sapno ki rani’…they simply rocked together…zindagi kaisi hai paheli is one of my all time fav song…there is this line which aptly fits on KAKA- ‘ek din sapno ka raahi, chala jaaye sapno se aage kahaan…’
True and so as if he was seeing what is gonna happen..very painful..