Rajesh Khanna Birthday

First superstar of Bollywood Rajesh Khanna was born on 29 December 1942, in Amritsar in the present-day state of Punjab, as Jatin Khanna.

Rajesh Khanna Family

Khanna was adopted and raised by Chunnilal Khanna and Leelawati Khanna, who were relatives of his biological parents. His father had migrated from West Punjab to “Gali Tiwarian” in Amritsar.

His biological parents were Lala Hiranand Khanna and Chandrani Khanna. Lala worked as headmaster of the MC High School in Burewala (in present-day Vehari District, Punjab Pakistan).

His adoptive parents belonged to a family of railway contractors who had moved from Lahore to Bombay in 1935. Khanna lived in Saraswati Niwas, in Thakurdwar near Girgaon, Mumbai.

Rajesh Khanna Education

He attended St. Sebastian’s Goan High School with his friend Ravi Kapoor, who later took the stage name Jeetendra.

Khanna gradually started taking interest in theatre, did many of stage and theatre plays in his school and college days, and won many prizes in inter-college drama competitions.

Later Khanna did his first two years of Bachelor of Arts in Nowrosjee Wadia College in Pune from 1959 to 1961. He later studied in K. C. College, Mumbai and Jeetendra studied from Siddharth Jain College.

Khanna tutored Jeetendra for his first film audition. Khanna’s uncle KK Talwar changed Khanna’s first name to Rajesh when he decided to enter films.

His friends and his wife called him Kaka (meaning baby faced boy in Punjabi).

Rajesh Khanna Actor

In 1962 Khanna played a wounded mute soldier in the play Andha Yug and impressed with his performance; the chief guest suggested that he get into films soon.

Khanna became a rare newcomer who had his own MG sports car, who struggled to get work in theatre and films in the early 1960s.

Later he was one of eight finalists from more than 10,000 contestants in the 1965 All India Talent Contest, organised by United Producers and Filmfare, along with FTII students Subhash Ghai and Dheeraj Kumar.

Rajesh Khanna won the contest.

Rajesh Khanna Debut Movie

Soon he made his film debut in the 1966 film Aakhri Khat, directed by Chetan Anand, followed by Raaz, directed by Ravindra Dave, both of which were a part of his predetermined prize for winning the All-India United Producers’ Talent Competition.

G.P. Sippy and Nasir Hussain were the first to sign Rajesh Khanna after he won the contest.  Aakhri Khat was India’s entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 40th Oscar Academy Awards in 1967.

Rajesh Khanna Movies

Being under contract with United Producers, he got projects such as Aurat, Doli and Ittefaq. He was then noticed for his performances in films such as Baharon Ke Sapne, Aurat (1967), Doli, Aradhana and Ittefaq.

In Bahraon Ke Sapne, the response from the public in the first week of run forced the film’s ending to be changed from a tragic one to a happier one from the second week.

In 1971, he acted in Haathi Mere Saathi, which became that year’s highest-grossing film and the biggest grosser ever till then.

Later Rajesh Khanna had 15 consecutive solo hit films between 1969 and 1971. These were Aradhana, Doli, Bandhan, Ittefaq, Do Raaste, Khamoshi, Safar, The Train, Kati Patang, Sachaa Jhutha, Aan Milo Sajna, Mehboob Ki Mehendi, Choti Bahu, Anand and Haathi Mere Saathi.

Badnam Farishte in 1971 was the first film of Khanna to flop at the box office since his consecutive 17 hits from 1969. In 1972, Khanna acted in 10 releases, nine of which became successful.

He had 17 consecutive hit films as the lead hero from 1969 to 1971 which included 15 solo hero films and 2 non-solo hero films; Andaz and Maryada.

Khanna considered Guru Dutt, Meena Kumari and Geeta Bali to be his idols.

Rajesh Khanna Wife

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Khanna fell in love with the then fashion designer and actress Anju Mahendru. They were in a relationship for seven years.

Later Khanna’s sudden stardom and his insistence that Mahendru quit her acting career eventually ended their relationship. Mahendru states that the couple did not speak to each other for 17 years after the break-up.

Soon Khanna married the budding actress Dimple Kapadia in March 1973, before Kapadia’s debut film Bobby released in November of that year.

Khanna and Kapadia have two daughters from the marriage; Twinkle and Rinke. Khanna’s elder daughter Twinkle Khanna, an interior decorator and a former film actress.

She married actor Akshay Kumar, while her younger daughter Rinke Khanna, also a former Hindi film actress, is married to a London-based investment banker Samir Saran

Rajesh Khanna Death Date

He died on 18 July 2012, at his bungalow, Aashirwad, in Mumbai.

Rajesh Khanna Cause of Death

His health had been deteriorating since July 2011 as doctored diagnosed him with cancer.

In June 2012, Rajesh Khanna’s health had been deteriorating for some time.

On 23 June his family admitted him to Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai due to health complications. He was discharged on 8 July from the hospital and was reportedly fine.

On 14 July, Khanna was readmitted to the Lilavati Hospital, but was discharged on 16 July. He died on 18 July 2012, at his bungalow, Aashirwad, in Mumbai.