When Bollywood lost its first ever superstar, Rajesh Khanna

On this day, five years back, the nation lost the first ever superstar of Indian cinema, Mr Rajesh Khanna. He was the first actor who enjoyed immeasurable stardom, which stayed on for many years, so he was rightly called as the biggest superstar of his era. He possessed an aura, an irresistible charm that none of the actors owned and his great screen presence made women go weak in the knees. The actor was never the quintessential action hero who could beat up a dozen goons, but his attractive persona stood with us, right till the end, and had a charm which acted in all kind of emotional sequences, whether romance, anger, or tearing ones.

Marking his debut in the year 1966 with the film ‘Aakhri Khat’, the actor only gained limelight post the 1969 romantic drama ‘Aradhana’. Then, with movies like ‘Anand’, ‘Safar’, ‘Do Raaste’, ‘Kati Patang’, ‘Haathi Mere Saathi’, he established himself as the biggest superstar of the country. He delivered as many as 17 blockbusters between 1969-1973 which was unattainable by any actor back then and even to this day, his stardom and his charming persona is missed by his millions of followers. (Also Read: Pushpa, I hate tears: Rajesh Khanna was not the first choice for ‘Amar Prem’?)

Fondly known as Kaka, his fan following was such that women literally wrote letters in blood to him and even got married to his photographs. But, his heart was set on the green-eyed beauty Dimple Kapadia with whom he settled down and were blessed with two lovely daughters, Twinkle and Rinke. His personal life was also in the news as he was linked with quite a few women post his separation from Dimple, but none could forget the hysteria that the superstar created in that era.

On the unfateful day of July 18, 2012, the actor breathed his last in his bungalow, Aashirwad. Sources claimed that he was diagnosed with cancer and had been unwell since a long time. His death shocked the entire nation and resulted in a void that remains unfilled till date. So, as every year, July 18 arrives, we remember him all the more, his warmth, his passion for cinema, his super-stardom and his unmatchable aura.

Prajakta Ajgaonkar

Passionate about writing, and a Bollywood lover, she is all that is sweet and endearing! She desires to put her best foot forward in everything that she does and loves to help anyone who’s in need.