The fall down of a superstar- Rajesh Khanna

   The fall down of a superstar- Rajesh Khanna

Rajesh Khanna , the first real superstar who emerged as India’s first superstar. The stardom Of Rajesh Khanna was unprecedented. Never is in the history of recognition of superstardom, anyone received such a reputation and prominence as our beloved Kaka had. Girls would marry his photograph and like obsessed lovers would harm themselves by writing letters signed in blood. They wouldn't stop there and they would cover his car with lipstick marks and chant his name like chanting for a demigod.
Some girls married my photograph", he had said once. Women would injure themselves to write letters to him signed in blood. These could not have been traditional fan-following. There had been no shortage of chocolate-faced romantic heroes before Rajesh Khanna So what was it which got the immense popularity to Rajesh Khanna.
Successful people begin where failures leave off. Never settle for ‘just getting the job done.’ Excel!” Like Amitabh Bachchan, it was not easy for Rajesh Khanna to get an easy success in film industry. His initial movies flopped badly but got some success with “Baharon Ke Sapne” and the suspense thriller “Ittefaq", but his real success came in 1969 with the Shakti Samanta directed movie “ Aradhana” opposite “Sharmila Tagore". History was created and the superstar was born. His very presence would guarantee a huge success to his producers and himself. He starred in 17 consecutive solo hit films from 1969 to 1972, a record unbroken
There is always a difference between greatness and success. "Success is born out of arrogance, but greatness comes from humility. Perhaps that is the only reason why Amitabh Bachchan could sustain it for too long but for eloquent and articulate Rajesh Khanna, it was short-lived.
 Let’s try to find the reason for his fall down
“The foundation stones for a balanced success are honesty, faith, love, and integrity. But perhaps it was diametrically opposite to Rajesh Khanna. Class is an aura of confidence that is being sure without being cocky. When ego supersedes your talent, your career is finished. Therefore, it becomes very important to vouch for your success at the peak of your career and introspect for the reason which has got you the feat and regard them for the unconditional love they have given you.    
Every success he achieved had made him arrogant and powerful. Success had corrupted his mind. As put by Abraham Lincoln "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power. The same power has corrupted Rajesh Khanna immensely. He would throw his tantrums. Come late for shooting and intervene to make directors uncomfortable and bumpy. Such was the height of his arrogance that he mocked and jeered at the upcoming superstar Amitabh Bachchan for his punctuality calling it a clerical trait. In an interview to Virender Kapoor which is recorded in a book that “the clerks were punctual and he was not a clerk but an artist” which was aimed at taking pot-shots at Amitabh Bachchan         
Slowly and steadily Amitabh Bachachan was making a foothold in the industry and Rajesh Khanna was losing it altogether. He was losing his audience and the reverence and respect of all those who have made him a megastar. They would rather approach Amitabh Bachchan, which had given a severe setback to him. He was getting inferiority complex. It would take Mehmood, an esteemed senior actor,  a great director, and established comedian hours to get Rajesh Khanna to convince and come out for a shot. Possibly throwing his weight around in this manner was Rajesh's way of compensating for the lost respect in the industry. He was losing his women audience as well.
His own idiosyncrasy and eccentricity were well captured by J Om Prakash in his own film “ Aap Ki Kasam” where he played the role of Jealous Husband who cast aspersions on the character of his wife played by Mumtaz which eventually was the reason for leaving her. He got depressed to become a homeless wanderer introspecting him to think” Zinadgi ke safar mein  guzar Jata hai jo maqam wo phir Nahi aate”. Like the reel life, he lost it completely in the real life with guilt and a feeling of gloom saying” It took 40 years and 180 movies to get him a life time award by Amitabh Bachchan “Izzate, Shurahte, Ulfate Chahtey, sab kuch  es duniya  mein rehta  nahe... aaj  jaha main hun.. kal aur tha... ye bhi ek duar hai,  wo bhi ek daur tha. These lines show the literal grief and the gloom he must have been experiencing in his later part of his life.
But one thing is clear, that till eternity his stardom would be remembered “babumoshai zindagi badi honi chahiye lambi nahi.
May he rest in peace with all the talent he had.