Rajesh Khanna

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by GDibyendu (talk | contribs) at 10:09, 12 May 2008 (→‎Later career: a most versatile and refined performer (1976-present): ref). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Rajesh Khanna
Born
Jatin Khanna
Years active1966 - present
SpouseDimple Kapadia (1973-1984)

Rajesh Khanna (Punjabi: ਰਾਜੇਸ਼ ਖੰਨਾ) (born Jatin Khanna on December 29, 1942 in Amritsar) is an Indian Bollywood Thespian and awardee of Dada Saheb Phalke Legend Golden Actor Award, 2008. He has also served a five year tenure as MP in the Indian parliament (1991-1996).

Early life

Rajesh Khanna came from an affluent family. Khanna's patriarchy had misgivings about Rajesh's serious ambitions regarding a professional career in the dramatic arts. His initial foray into cinema with renowned film maker Chetan Anand was not a resounding success. Nonetheless, Rajesh persisted and exceeded all expectations. His previous theatrical background assisted him with the characterization of the personas of the cinema which he portrayed effortlessly and naturally. He is Hindi cinema's first officially proclaimed and acknowledged Superstar, as the term Superstar first time came into existence only for him in Indian Cine World.[1]

In March of 1973 Rajesh Khanna married Dimple Kapadia, a Bollywood actress who had just made her film debut in Raj Kapoor's coveted blockbuster Bobby as a delightful ingenue. At the time of Kapadia's film debut, she was sixteen years old; Khanna was thirty-one. They soon became the parents of Twinkle Khanna and Rinke Khanna, who would also become Bollywood actresses.

Later life

Khanna and Dimple Kapadia separated in the early 1980s. Their elder daughter Twinkle who is an interior decorator is married to current star Akshay Kumar and younger daughter Rinkee is married to a entrepreneur, after attending Harvard in the USA.

Khanna was a Member of Parliament for the New Delhi constituency (1991-96).

He is the life member of International Film And Television Research Centre and International Film And Television Club Of Asian Academy Of Film & Television. Recently he announced his appearance in a spate of forthcoming films for which he is hopeful of renewing previous success. . He is going to perform in a T.V. Serial Bhabhima with Leena Ganguly as Lead Pair of the serial.

Bollywood career

Early success:star to superstar (1966-1974)

Rajesh Khanna joined the film industry after winning an All India Talent Contest through a nation wide selection procedure by panel of judges like Bimal Roy, Chetan Anand, G.P. Sippy, Shakti Samanta and B. R. Chopra. He made his film debut in the 1966 film Aakhri Khat which went unnoticed. He appeared in a few more films over the next two years which did not gain him any recognition. He shot to fame with the 1969 film Aradhana which was his first major hit. From then on he was an extremely popular actor in the early 1970s, appearing in many romantic and melodrama films which were hugely successful at the box office. He was often paired with actresses like Mumtaz or Sharmila Tagore. Some of his most successful films in this period included Anand (1970), Kati Patang (1970), Amar Prem (1971), Andaaz (1971), Daag (1973), Namak Haraam (1973), Aap Ki Kasam, Prem Nagar and Roti (1974). 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 own blood [2] From 1969 to 1974 he had 15 consecutive hit films, a journalist Devyani Chaubal dubbed him "phenomenon" when he was at his peak. Several of the popular songs sung by Kishore Kumar in the 1970s were picturized on Khanna and helped his films become successful and after his emergence as a superstar, Kishore Kumar went onto have a successful career in playback singing.


Later career: a most versatile and refined performer (1976-present)

However the success perhaps caused him to be complacent, often turning up very late for shoots and throwing tantrums as well as having a whole entourage of sycophants accompany him for his shoots.[3] This behaviour coupled with the changing trend from romantic movies to action oriented multi-star films in the late 1970s and 1980s caused the decline of Khanna's career in term of box office rating. But he continued to perform in socially meaningful films such as Mehbooba, Karm, Anurodh, Amar Deep, Thodisi Bewafai, Avataar, Amrit, Akhir Kyon, Aaj Ka MLA, Shatru, Agar Tum Na Hote, Souten, Vijay, Swarg and many more. He was a protagonist as well as in innnumerable guest roles in multi-starrer social/action films such as Kudrat, Rajput, Dharam Aur Kanoon, Dharam Kanta, Ashanti and Disco Dancer. He took a significant and courageous career risks when he experimented with negative roles in Red Rose where he played a psychopathic serial killer of women and in Dhanwaan where he played an arrogant businessman. By the early 1990s he quit acting for many years and served as Hon'ble M.P. from prestigious seat of New Delhi Constituency from (1991-1996). During that period he appeared in Khudai (1994). He made his acting comeback in Aa Ab Laut Chalen (1999) and Kyaa Dil Ne Kahaa (2002) where he played elderly father roles. In 2006 he appeared in Jaana - Let's Fall in Love which was a direct to video release. In September, 2007 he has officially announced about his second innings on big screen and has signed about eight new forthcoming films. He has been conferred with the most prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke Golden Actor Award this year (2008), which has established him in the Legendry Actor's category.

Political career

During 1991-1996, Rajesh Khanna was a Member of Parliament for the Congress Party, from the New Delhi constituency. He has since been a political activist for the Congress Party expressing noteworthy, objective and constructive patriotism for India.

Television career

In 2001-2002, Rajesh Khanna played major roles in two television serials: Aapne Parai (B4U & DD Metro) and Ittefaqu (Zee TV).

He performed in a video album based on Tagore's immortal songs (Rabindra Sangeet) free of cost. Currently he is busy in processing his own music channel viz. R.K. Music Channel.

He has endorsed a talent hunt programme in 2007 namely "Star se Superstar tak" as the First Superstar of Indian Cinema, under the banner of Red Carpet Entertainment and donated a Gold Trophy of Rs.1 Crore with Ms. Priyanka Chopra.

He has signed a TV serial with Creative Eye Banner (Dhiraj Kumar)in 2007. He is also going to perform in a T.V. Serial Bhabhima with Leena Ganguly as Lead Pair of the serial.

In its Silver Jubilee Episode, K for Kishore has celebrated SUPER STAR RAJESH KHANNA SPECIAL, on 14th and 15th of March, 2008.

Awards

Filmfare Awards

Won
Nominated

Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards

Other awards and recognitions

  • 1982 Rajesh Khanna was awarded Best Actor Award for his outstanding double role performance in Dard by Lions Club, New Delhi by Sri Dilip Kumar.
  • 1984 Rajesh Khanna was awarded Best Actor Award by All India Critics Association, Kolkata for Aaj Ka MLA-Ram Awatar.
  • 1994 he was awarded Best Actor Award for Khudai at Ujvegistan at Russian Film Festival.
  • 1995 Rajesh Khanna was honoured with the Kala Ratna Award by Punjabi Kala Sangam at Delhi by the then Human Resource Development Minister Mr. Arjun Singh.
  • 1999 Rajesh Khanna was conferred with the title Living Legend by Ujala Anandlok: A most reputed Bangla Film Magazine from Kolkata. The trophy was presented to him by Mr. Rituporno Ghosh, noted Bangla Film Director
  • 2001, Khanna was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award by Sansui Film Awards [5]
  • 2003, he had been chosen for the Maharastra state government’s Raj Kapoor Award. He had been chosen for his contribution to the film industry.[6]
  • 2004, he was honoured with the Star Screen Lifetime Achievement Award [7]
  • 2004, he has bagged the Bollywood Awards 2004's Lifetime Achievement Award and also received the Lifetime of Glamour award at the Kingfisher Bollywood Fashion Awards at USA. [8]
  • 2005 He was awarded the "Pride of Film Industry" by the Stardust Awards on [[]].[9]
  • 2005 he was falicitated by Sri Dilip Kumar as Legend for the source of the term of SUPERSTAR in Indian Cinema during Roxi Theatre Inauguration function.
  • 2006 He is the recipient of the Life Time Achievement Award for “Outstanding Contribution to the Motion Picture Industry of India” for performing in meaningful, social and household movies, at the eighth annual Bollywood Movie Awards in Trinidad (Centre of Excellence) on June 10, [[]].

[10]

  • 2006, he was awarded with "Yugantar Gaurav Puraskar". [11]
  • He is a recipient of the "Glory of India Award" by IIAF, London. [12]
  • He has been honoured as the Life Member of International Film And Television Research Centre and International Film And Television Club of Asian Academy of Film & Television in 2006-2007.
  • 2008, he has been conferred with the most prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke Golden Actor Award.

These are in addition to a number of Best Actor/Life Time achievement Awards of international and national repute.

Filmography

References

  1. ^ An article from rediff.com dated 13-09-2002
  2. ^ rediff.com, Movies: The different avatars of Rajesh Khanna
  3. ^ An article from screenindia.com dated 08-17-2008

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rajesh_Khanna&oldid=211839405"