At the beginning
I would like to Thank all my readers and the lover’s of Bollywood for their
kind words of appreciation and suggestion on different personalities on whom I should
pen down my future articles. Your observations motivate me to read more,
research more and amplify my thoughts my emotions over the written word.
Last month I wrote a small piece on the Living Legend and the Superstar
of the Millennium Mr. Amitabh Bachchan. So many books have been authored on Big
B and would be in the future as well. But, when I learnt in recent times that
Gautam Chintamani (author) has now come up with his first book titled, Dark Star - The Loneliness of Being Rajesh Khanna a HarperCollins Publication what intrigued me is the fact why there had
not been many books written earlier on India’s first Superstar Rajesh Khanna.
The reasons might be innumerable however I am glad that author Gautam Chintamani
with his deep research and prolific writing made efforts to come up with his first
book on Rajesh Khanna. Gautam is a born cinephile and also a popular columnist
across many leading National Publications. In a short chat with the author and
post reading his book an impressive read I take this opportunity to pen down a short
summary review of his own book.
At this juncture it also reminds me of the wonderful lyrics and the song
casted on the Superstar Rajesh Khanna, "Chand Taaron Se Chalna
Hai Aage Asmaanon Se Badna Hai Aage Pichhe
Reh Jayega Yeh Zamana Yahan Kal Kya Ho Kisne Jaana Zindagi Ek Safar Hai Suhana Yahan Kal Kya Ho Kisne Jaana”. Lyricist Hasrat Jaipuri fetched the Filmfare Award for this lovely
number.
Rajesh Khanna (Massive
Success, Bloated Ego and Dramatic Downfall)
If today we were to relate this number to Rajesh Khanna was it a mere coincidence
that this song was casted on him or was it that Almighty was giving him
indications on his journey ahead in tinseltown. To me the name Rajesh Khanna
registers three things in my mind: His massive success, bloated ego and the dramatic
downfall. Mind the sequence success, ego and then downfall.
Were they all interlinked? I
thought so “Yes” but not until the author Gautam and his book provided me deeper
insight and convincing response.
Early Days and Massive
Success
“Superstar” the word was coined by the media for Rajesh Khanna. With
seventeen massive hits to his credits in a short span of just over four years
Khanna felt this phase would remain for eternity. He was originally born as
Jatin Khanna to middle class parents and was later adopted by rich relatives
who brought him up like a prince. His adoptive Mother wouldn’t allow anyone to
go anywhere near his room in the morning till Kaka woke up on his own. Even
when it came to going to school it was the man himself Rajesh Khanna more than
anyone else who would decide whether he wanted to attend the classes or not. He
used to tell his friends if he asked for five rupees he would get ten from his
parents. The time when Rajesh Khanna won the Filmfare United Producers Combine
Talent Hunt, as a struggler he was already famous as person who drove an
imported sports car. The impact of his success was so much that short anecdote
from the book says, While Khanna was shooting for “Prem Kahani” at Mithibai
College a fakir in the vicinity went about begging for alms from the crowd not
in the name of the Almighty but in the name of the Superstar then Rajesh
Khanna. Such was the hysteria generated by the Superstar then amongst the common
masses.
Bloated Ego
First it was his massive success then came in his bloated ego
and how one’s exalted ego can bring down an individual from success to
mediocrity a lesson we must learn looking at the life and times of Rajesh
Khanna. It’s rightly said, “Where love enters ego takes the exit and where ego enters love
takes the exit”.
However, if one does read this book closely coupled with good
research done by the author it can be distinctly seen that the man's ego was
not a by-product of his success. On the contrary the ego was always there and
as large as ever.
It can be read in the book, Shyam Keswani, the lawyer introduced to
Khanna by Shakti Samanta, is certain that even if Rajesh Khanna had ventured
into business had been a railway contractor or even clerk for that matter his
ego would have still remained the same. Rajesh Khanna was always impetuous and
people got the pulse it was more especially after the string of hits post his
movie Aradhana. “Success changed the attitude towards him and as long as hits
were piling up no one seemed to mind his brashness.”
Dramatic Downfall
Looking at the picture above one thing is quite evident that time does change
many aspects and priorities of one’s life. Not all days in one’s life are
similar and so were they in the life of the Superstar Rajesh Khanna. There was
a time where everything he touched into gold now came in the phase when
everything he touched turned into dust. His imported cars were exchanged for Maruti
800 and his 555s were replaced with Gold Flake. He hoped Politics would give
his life new direction but to no avail as a new and more dependable individual
was seen then in Sunil Dutt. Khanna's role as Father in the 1999 release "Aa Ab Laut Chalen" wasn't widely applauded at box office as there was Mr. Amitabh
Bachchan's Mohabbatein year 2000 release that fetched Big B his Filmfare Award
for the Best Supporting Actor.
Admire the good writing, the patience and deep research it took for the
author Gautam to come up with his debut book on this superstar Rajesh Khanna. The
book is indeed a wonderful tribute by the author that covers the odyssey of
Rajesh Khanna spread across four decades which had swept the nation at one
point of time. Rajesh Khanna reached heights which nobody had done before him.
Lessons Learnt
There are many interesting lesson's one can learn post reading the book
and by going through the life and times of Rajesh Khanna. To sum it up with a
song from Khanna's very own movie, "Aap Ki Kasam"
- Zindagi
Ke Safar Mein Guzar Jaate Hai Jo Makaam Woh Phir Nahin Aate (We can never
revisit the milestones we leave behind in the journey of life). However, big or small one’s achievements might be it would be always ideal
to remain down to earth. Success and ego never goes hand in hand. One might win
on their ego but eventually you are still a looser and you loose ahead in the
battles of life eventually ending up disturbing one’s happy home. Be it the loneliness
of being a superstar or be it a common mass ego leads you no where. Rightly coined by Kabir, “Speak without ego it will calm
you and comfort others.” Zindagi Ka Safar Hai Ye Kaisa Safar . . . Koi Samjha Nahin Koi Jaana Nahin . . .
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