Month: July 2012

By Afsana Ahmed – Hindustan Times Some time back, I ran into Rajesh Khanna in the foyer of hotel JW Marriot, Mumbai. A bunch of photographers were tumbling over each other in the hallway trying to get that perfect shot of a dapper Salman Khan. As they fought over the Khan, the Khanna watched the frenzied scene unnoticed The fickle camera with its back towards the old, its focus on the new and the now, did not escape Khanna that day. He said with a laugh, “Yehi toh zindegi ke sach hai…kal hum the, jahaan woh aaj hai! (This is life…yesterday was ours, today belongs to the youth.)” The passing of youth and beauty is undeniable, but the timelessness of human achievements cannot be ignored either. On Wednesday, soon after he was discharged from Lilavati hospital, Khanna breathed his last, but his body of work will always be a part of the warp and weft of the vibrant tapestry that is Indian cinema. And the memory of the superstar with his mannerisms — the way he crinkled up his eyes, dimpled into the hearts of fans, and swayed and sighed — his velvety voice, his fashion sense, will not fade either. Khanna did not have any rags to riches story to boast of. If at all, it was riches to more riches and fame. Bollywood’s ‘richest struggler’ was born...