Rajesh Khanna - A Super Star Par Excellence; A Phenomenon Nonpareil

“When we lose a loved one, something within us dies.” An inexplicable sense of loss pervaded my senses with his passing away in 2012. He had an aura, a certain charisma and that had the strength in his screen presence to arrest the viewer in front of him. One unique and recurring feature was the fact that Rajesh Khanna indeed in all probability was the only star who featured in maximum number of songs eulogizing the virtues of life (Zindagi) or the futility of it. This could be the primary reason why the fan following of Rajesh Khanna was legendary. He was not the most handsome actor compared to his peers but his charm was irresistible. In the history of Hindi cinema, nobody has induced fan hysteria like Rajesh Khanna. And nobody has captured the nation's collective mind space like this much adored actor. Our generation simply loved Rajesh Khanna. When he passed away, a bit of me died with this enigmatic star.

Crowned as the Hindi film industry's first official superstar, Rajesh Khanna had a very distinct persona. Khanna's strength lied in his understanding of the popular mindset. He achieved the fame that no other film star had ever experienced before. He was the first actor who created his own mannerism, the slightly tilted head that used to bobble with a jerk, his own unique hairstyle, the guru collar, and the short kurtas, which have now become a fashionable accessory, were his creation and contribution to the world of cinema. This short kurta is one of my favorite attire, is testimony to the impact he has had on me both as an actor and a fashion icon.

Born on December 29, 1942, Rajesh Khanna was a multi-faceted and multi-talented actor. Having worked in almost 180 films, he starred in 15 consecutive solo hit films in the period 1969 to 1971. He would have celebrated his 79th birthday this year.

“Watching Rajesh Khanna in Aaradhana as a five year old happened to be the turning point of my life, which is how I got sucked into the magical world of cinema. With the hills rolling behind and sitting in a jeep with the trademark tilted head, twinkling eyes, adorning a Nepali cap, he rode into mine and the nation's heart serenading Sharmila Tagore with “Mere sapnon ki raani” in Aaradhana (1969). He followed it up with another blockbuster Do Raaste a few weeks later, Rajesh Khanna rewrote box-office history. Between the years 1969 and 1972 almost everything he touched turned to gold — 15 consecutive hits of various degrees. No wonder producers chanted: Upar aaka, neeche Kaka (God above and Kaka, Khanna's pet name). I was awed by his unparalleled screen presence and persona then and his memories continue to remain enthralled by his magic.

Nobody really knows how an actor of average build, middling height and a face often sprayed with pimples hypnotized India. May be, he was the last gasp of innocence when India was getting angry about unemployment and price rise, a hyphen between the simplicity of the years gone by and the uncertainty of the future. May be, it was just written. Unable to find a phrase that captured the phenomenon, the industry finally coined a new term: the superstar.

He was the king of romance; most at home shaking his head and crooning love nothings. Songs were the spine of his movies; he revived Kishore Kumar's singing career in Aaradhana. But the actor brought no revolution to the art of celluloid love; he just gently blended the playfulness of Dev Anand with a fraction of Dilip Kumar's intensity; to this he added his own charm and style.

Making his debut with Aakhri Khat in 1966, he evolved into the phenomenon with Aaradhana in 1969, i.e. within 3 years, and never looked back before Anand happened in his acting career, where the death scene of the film, where he passed away, saw the emergence of Amitabh Bachchan as the new phenomenon.

From the euphoria of becoming a sensation overnight at the age of 29 to the anguish of losing it all within the next 10 years, Khanna's life encompassed everything that a superstar's life is made of — the rise, the high and then the great fall is an eventuality no star has been able to put off for long. For no superstar is invincible. The society that catapults him to the galaxy of glamour also puts him down with a thud, even as the next star rises, also to follow the same trajectory. The seat at the top is not permanent. When superstar Rajesh Khanna delivered this philosophical verse in Yash Chopra’s DAAG, little must have he realized that one day his topnotch position too would be acquired by another actor. This is his poignant connection with Sahir’s poem. ”Main toh kuch bhi nahin”/”I am just nothing at all”

Izzatain shohratain chahatain ulfatain,

Koi bhi cheez duniya main rahti nahin,

Aaj main hoon jahan kal koi aur tha...

Yeh bhi ek daur hai woh bhi ek daur tha!

Honour, fame, love and affection,

None of these remain in the world.

Today I am there where someone else was yesterday.

This is also a trend and that was one too.

Later when he came to terms with the law of nature, he fell in awe with the above verse so much so that the verse became a permanent fixture in his life. Wherever he went for award ceremonies or felicitation event Rajesh Khanna would inevitably quote the above verse.

Young or aged, Rajesh Khanna had legions of admirers around the world. People from all age groups remember Rajesh Khanna for more than one reasons, Rajesh Khanna is a legend and will always remain one. From romance to tragedy to action, there’s no genre that this man couldn’t do justice to. Besides acting, the superstar will always be fondly remembered for the immortal and amazing songs he has to his name. Here’s a playlist of some of my favorites.

1. Mere Sapno Ki Rani (Aaradhana)– Every single one of us has sung this & imagined ourselves being in his place more than once! The train romance will never go out of fashion, be it Kashmir or Kanyakumari & we’re pretty sure this song has played catalyst in quite a few love stories.

2. Chingari Koi Bhadke – From “Amar Prem”, a bottle of whisky, a broken heart & this song from Amar Prem can still turn into the go-to song for many perpetually heart-broken lovers. Rajesh Khanna is extra-ordinary in the song!

3. Zindagi ek safar hai suhana ( Andaz)– Arey this song! It is the ultimate ‘In Love With Life’ song ever made. EVER. Rajesh Khanna’s spirit in the song can change your mood & how! Yodle-ay-yodle-ay-ee-oooo!

4. Jai Jai Shiv Shankar ( Aap Ki Kasam)– This song always tops the ‘Holi Party’ playlist. But, you don’t need to be high to enjoy this song, just play it & let the ‘Babumoshai’ in you takeover!

5. Jeevan Se Bhari Teri Ankhein ( Safar)– If you know the lyrics to this song, you know Rajesh Khanna knew just how to woo a girl! Combine the romance that drips off with every syllable with Rajesh Khanna’s on-screen presence and you have a winner that hits just the right spot.

6. Gulabi Aankhein ( The Train)– This song has been remixed & recreated a number of times over the decades but none of these versions can quite match up to the original! And man, what an original it is! Nothing says smitten better than this song!

7. Kahin Door Jab Din Dhal Jaaye ( Anand) – Feeling blue? This song will mirror your emotions & waterworks are a sure thing to follow. And no one could’ve emoted these emotions like Rajesh Khanna, Don’t you agree?

8. Akele hai chale aao kahan ho - In Raaz, music composed by Kalyanji Anandji, you can again hear Rafi playing back for Kaka. Arguably, one of the best solos Rafi sang for Rajesh Khanna.

9. Aur kuchh der thahar, aur kuchh der na jaa – From “ Aakhri Khat”, a highly melodious number composed by Khayyam, Rafi brought out his signature softness in romance and Kaka responded with his intermittent winks and head gestures which became his signature manoeuvres later.

10. Zindagi ka Safar- Another tear jerker from “Safar”. Soulfully rendered by Kishore and a heart tugging score by Kalyanji Anandji and Indivar’s moving lyrics . Rajesh Khanna’s performance as a tragic lover takes the song to another level.

As Mahesh Bhatt in his tribute to Rajesh Khanna said that there was a strong element of similarity between Bahadur Shah Zafar and Rajesh Khanna. Both were rulers during their hey days but had to suffer the ignominy of anonymity in the later part of their life. The difference lay in the fact that the fans of the nazms of Bahadur Shah Zafar were few, but the fans of songs picturised on Kaka are so huge, that he would continue to rule the hearts after his mortal existence has come to an end on earth.

Thank you for that dance-step, that inimitable tilting of the head, the beguiling romantic rendezvous with those mesmerised maidens, and those tear-swelled susceptible eyes. Those innumerable magical moments, Kaka. They are endless. As are you.