Hindi cinema’s first superstar Rajesh Khanna may have passed away in 2012, but his legend lives on, and a heartwarming episode of ‘Indian Idol’ is proof of that. Veteran actress Asha Parekh and music composer Vishal Dadlani recently appeared on the show, sharing extraordinary personal memories of the late actor’s once-in-a-generation stardom that left audiences thoroughly nostalgic.
Asha Parekh on the moment she knew Rajesh Khanna was a superstar
When host Harsh Limbachiyaa asked Asha Parekh when she first realised Rajesh Khanna’s star power, the veteran actress had a vivid answer. She recalled, “Unki picture ekdam se hit ho gayi aur sab ladkiyan deewani ho gayi. Tab laga ki yeh superstar ban gaye hain. Iske liye main jo kahungi ki Rajesh Khanna ke peeche jo craze tha, ladkiyon ka jo pagalpan tha, woh maine sirf ek aur hero ke liye dekha hai aur woh hain Dev Anand ji. Unke liye bhi ladkiyan behosh ho jaati thi. Isi tarah Rajesh Khanna ji ke liye bhi suna hai ki log unki gaadi ko kiss karte the, aur kuch toh unke photo ke saath shaadi bhi karte the.”(His film became a massive hit overnight, and all the girls went crazy for him. That’s when I felt he had become a superstar. About this, I would say that the kind of craze and madness girls had for Rajesh Khanna I had only seen for one other hero, and that was Dev Anand. Girls would faint for him too. Similarly, I heard that people used to kiss Rajesh Khanna’s car, and some even married his photographs).
Asha Parekh recalls 200-300 girls storming a recording theatre to catch a glimpse
Pressed for a live memory, Asha Parekh shared an unforgettable incident from the sets of ‘Mere Sapno Ki Rani’. She said, “Hum log shooting kar rahe the, aur ‘Mere Sapno Ki Rani’ ke liye dubbing theatre mein gaye the. Chhota sa theatre tha, aur 200-300 ladkiyan andar ghus gayi thi. Rajesh Khanna ji ko dekhkar sab pagal ho gayi thi.”(We were shooting, and we had gone to the dubbing theatre for ‘Mere Sapno Ki Rani.’ It was a small theatre, and around 200–300 girls rushed inside. The moment they saw Rajesh Khanna, everyone went crazy)
About Rajesh Khanna
Widely regarded as Hindi cinema’s first-ever superstar, Rajesh Khanna delivered iconic films including ‘Anand’, ‘Aradhana’, ‘Kati Patang’, ‘Amar Prem’, ‘Haathi Mere Saathi’, and ‘Safar’ across a career spanning over six decades. He was married to actress Dimple Kapadia and is survived by daughters Twinkle Khanna and Rinke Khanna. He passed away in 2012, but as this ‘Indian Idol’ episode makes abundantly clear, his hold on the public imagination has never faded.
