Adaa Khan, who will soon make an appearance in Naagin 6, has lived in Bandra all her life. She has crossed Rajesh Khanna’s bungalow Aashirwad so many times, that she has a special connection with the late superstar.
She says “I have seen all of Rajesh Khanna’s films with my parents. My father is a huge fan and his favourite films are Aradhana (1969), Safar (1970) and Anand (1971). He told me that they have never missed a film of his and would go to the theatre on the same day of the release. It was always a first day show for them. One of his favourite songs is O mere dil ke chain and even to date I put Rajesh Khanna’s songs for him. He was the first and only superstar we have ever seen, and he still lives through his films.”
She adds. “Also, I don’t know how many times I have crossed his bungalow Aashirwad before it was sold and it always reminded me of the song Zindagi ka safar. I feel I have a special connection with Rajesh Khannaji because my parents were such huge fans of his.”
Rajesh Khanna during his lifetime saw both rise and fall, and Adaa feels that he should be remembered for the long list of memorable performances that he left behind. “Success and failure can go away, but what’s left behind is the work one does during their time on earth and I strongly believe that people should only remember that part of Rajesh Khanna’s life. People used to kiss his car. I don’t think anyone during that time had achieved that feat,” she signs off.
The forgotten matinee idol?
Bollywood is indeed a strange place where stars are born and dimmed in the blink of an eye. While the film industry recently held special screenings in honour of late thespian Dilip Kumar (to commemorate his centenary) and living megastar Amitabh Bachchan’s 80th birthday, it seems like Rajesh Khanna has been forgotten. In his heyday, people, especially women, used to throng cinema halls to watch their favourite superstar. One wonders how his career and films aren’t worthy of being celebrated considering he’s given us some of the most epic performances in Hindi movies.
