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| Rajesh Khanna | |
|---|---|
| Name | Rajesh Khanna |
| Birth name | Jatin Khanna |
| Birth date | 1942-12-29 |
| Birth place | Amritsar, Punjab, India |
| Death date | 2012-07-18 |
| Death place | Mumbai, Maharashtra |
| Occupation | Actor, Producer, Politician |
| Years active | 1966–2012 |
| Spouse | Dimple Kapadia |
Rajesh Khanna Rajesh Khanna was an Indian film actor and producer who became the first superstar of Indian cinema, dominating Hindi films in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He starred in a string of commercially successful films and cultivated a fan following that influenced popular culture across India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and diasporic communities. He later entered politics and served as a Member of Parliament for New Delhi.
Born as Jatin Khanna in Amritsar in Punjab, India, he hailed from a Punjabi family with roots in pre-Partition British India. He moved to Peshawar during early childhood before his family settled in Mumbai (then Bombay), where he attended local schools and pursued higher studies at KJ Somaiya College, participating in theatre groups linked to Prithvi Theatre and collaborating with dramatists associated with Hindi theatre and contemporaries from National School of Drama circles. He worked as a commercial model and assistant before entering film, interacting with figures from Filmfare circles and the Bollywood film industry.
He made his screen debut in a supporting role in the film produced during the 1960s, then rose to prominence with leading roles in films directed by noted filmmakers such as Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Shakti Samanta, A. Bhimsingh, and Rajnish Behl. His filmography includes major hits that are staples of Hindi cinema: collaborations with music directors like R.D. Burman, Laxmikant–Pyarelal, and Kalyanji-Anandji, and lyricists such as Gulzar and Anand Bakshi. He starred opposite leading actresses including Sharmila Tagore, Asha Parekh, Nutan, Dimple Kapadia, Mumtaz, and Rekha. Notable titles in his career encompass commercially and critically recognized works that shaped genres akin to romantic drama, musical melodrama, and social family dramas widely distributed by studios tied to Rajshri Productions and distributors active in the Hindi film industry.
His emergence as a mass idol reshaped fan culture exemplified by unprecedented audience phenomena—screaming audiences at premieres and organized fan clubs—paralleling international celebrity patterns seen around figures from Hollywood and European cinema. His image and on-screen persona influenced fashion trends promoted through film magazines such as Filmfare and Stardust, and affected popular music consumption driven by playback singers like Asha Bhosle, Lata Mangeshkar, and Kishore Kumar. His popularity intersected with contemporaneous social shifts in metropolitan centers like Mumbai, Delhi, and Calcutta, affecting advertising campaigns, brand endorsements, and media narratives in publications such as The Times of India and The Indian Express.
He married actress Dimple Kapadia; their relationship and family life drew sustained attention from periodicals and biographies focusing on film personalities. He maintained friendships and professional associations with peers including Amitabh Bachchan, Shammi Kapoor, and directors from the Mumbai film fraternity. His private struggles with health and personal setbacks featured in coverage by mainstream media outlets; he also navigated the transition from peak stardom to character roles as other actors such as Raj Kapoor and Sunil Dutt continued to influence cinematic currents.
Beyond cinema, he engaged in public life, contesting elections and representing New Delhi in the Lok Sabha as part of a national party apparatus linked with prominent politicians and institutions in the Indian political system. He participated in charitable events and benefit performances with fellow artists from organizations such as Film and Television Producers Guild of India and supported causes often covered by cultural trusts and media groups. His public appearances included participation in film festivals and retrospectives at venues associated with National Centre for the Performing Arts (India) and film societies in Mumbai.
Over his career he received recognition from institutions that document cinematic achievement, including multiple nominations and wins at the Filmfare Awards. He was conferred honors acknowledging his contribution to Indian cinema by state and industry bodies, and featured in commemorative lists compiled by newspapers and film archives such as the National Film Archive of India.
He died in Mumbai in July 2012, prompting nationwide coverage and tributes from political figures, film personalities, and cultural institutions including leaders from Prithviraj Kapoor family circles and contemporary stars. His legacy endures through restorations and reissues of his films in archives, retrospectives at national film festivals, scholarly work in cinema studies programs at institutions like Jawaharlal Nehru University and film courses at University of Mumbai, and continued cultural references across South Asian media. His influence persists in popular memory, fan archives, and digital repositories dedicated to Hindi cinema.
Category:Indian film actors Category:Hindi cinema