Fragrance of Yesteryears: Rajesh Khanna

Comments [ 2 ] By Gunia M. | 27 July 2015 | 5:27am

As we close in on July, BollyCurry is back with yet another edition of its feature article on the superstars of years past, Fragrance of Yesteryears. This time around, we're featuring none other than Rajesh Khanna who is commonly known as the "original superstar" of the Indian film Industry.

Born on the 29^th of December, 1942 to parents Lala Hiranand and Chandrani Khanna, Rajesh Khanna was later adopted by Chunni Lal Khanna and Leela Wati Khanna, his relatives, after his biological parents migrated to Pakistan post partition. Khanna attended the St. Sebastian's Goan High School along with Jeetendra, a splendid actor in his prime.

Khanna got his first Bollywood stint in 1962 with Andha Yudh, a film in which he played a minor role as a dumb soldier. After getting the recognition he rightfully deserved, he went on to star in over 180 films in his praiseworthy career. Some of Khanna's most popular films include Aradhana (1969), Ittefaq (1969), Haathi Mere Saathi (1971), Amar Prem (1972), Prem Nagar (1974) and Amrit (1986). He has won the Filmfare Best Actor award four times and has been nominated twenty five more times.

He is also a producer of approximately ten films and later turned his interest towards politics in the year 1991. By 2012, Khanna's health started to deteriorate and soon, it was revealed that he was suffering from cancer and had already undergone chemotherapy. On 18^th July, 2012, Khanna met his demise. His funeral was a huge procession that was attended by all his relatives, friends, colleagues, fans and well-wishers from across the globe.

Did You Know?

(1) There's a bronze statue of Khanna at Bandra Bandstand, Mumbai, unveiled on his first death anniversary.

(2) In India, there's a postage stamp bearing Khanna's face.

(3) He's fondly referred to as Kaka (meaning baby-faced in Punjabi).

BollyCurry hopes that Khanna's soul continues to rest in peace and may his legend live on forever as one of the biggest talent to have graced Indian cinema. We encourage you to extend your best wishes in the comment box below.

Author: Mohini N.

Editor: Gunia K.

Graphics: Shikha A.

Have a suggestion or comment for BollyCurry? Drop us a PM at BC_Dropbox Today!

Copyright BollyCurry

User Rating (0 Votes)