Flashback: How Rajesh Khanna Became Indian Cinema's First Superstar

Indian filmmakers seem to be lost for a good plot as we get to see a lot of remakes across industries. However, has it occured to them that they can actually produce biopics of many stars of yesteryears? Biopics are not new to film industry but the way a filmmaker deals with the nuances of the movie makes a lot of difference and can make or break a movie.

We have already seen how Telugu actor Savitri's biopic Mahanati captured the hearts of fans. Savirtri life story was a heart-wrenching tale of the actress which was packaged well by director Nag Ashwin and garnered a lot of praise from the audience.

The life story of actors are always a point of interest for fans. So today, we have some snippets from the life of first ever superstar of Indian Cinema--Rajesh Khanna.

The actor was the heart-throb of women and girls during the mid seventies. The star who made his debut in Hindi cinema through "Akhri Khat' changed his name from Jathin Khanna to Rajesh Khanna. The credit for becoming first ever super star in Indian cinema goes to this actor. But if one is wondering how he became a superstar inspite of tough competition with great actors like Amitabh Bachchan, Dev Anand, or Shammi Kapoor, you would be surprised to know that the actor gave 15 superhits in a row between 1969-1971 besides becoming a famous politician.

But Amitabh Bachchan who stepped into the field as an angry young man too established himself as a mass hero at the same time. Rajesh Khanna was like a goose laying golden eggs for the producers of those days.

He was seen as a lead actor in about 106 movies out of which 97 movies were released. He was seen in about 22 multistarrer movies. Rajesh Khanna was seen in 168 movies and 12 short movies. His first movie Akhri Khat which was released in 1966 brought in a lot of fame for the actor.

The actor who got awards for his best acting three times, got a Filmfare award for his lifetime achievement. He was posthumously given Padma Bhushan award in 2013. He was also the highest earning actor between 1970-1987. He had his ups and downs in the political field.

While he lost his election in 1991 against L K Adwani, he won against BJP candidate Shatrughan Sinha in 1996 and served as the Congress MP in the parliament. Later, he lost his interest in politics and resumed acting.

During the peak of his career, girls were mad after him. They used to write letters with blood to the Hindi Superstar in the name of Love. He had many lovers, one among them being a fashion designer by name Anju Mahendra. The couple is said to have been in a relationship for about seven years.

Meanwhile, Dimple Kapadia who became close to the actor married him and Anju had stopped talking to him for about seventeen years. Anju once in an interview had alleged that Rajesh Khanna had an unconventional attitude. Rajesh Khanna had turned down a proposal from Tina Munim who was his lover during their college days. Anju Mahendra remained unmarried till the end.

Now, I am sure there's more interesting information on his life but one article may not be enough to fill you in on that. We will be back soon with more. Stay tuned.