“Kishore was my soul and I was his body”- Rajesh Khanna
They say that if there was ever a superstar in the Indian Film Industry, it had to be Rajesh Khanna. There may be romantic leading men and icons in Bollywood but there is and will be only one superstar for his ability to take cinematic love to legendary heights. Why couldn't anybody replace him? Why since four long decades 'Kakaji's' superstar status is still not passed on? Because he had the biggest and the maddest fan following, especially his female fans. They would write love letters to him soaked in blood. They would kiss his car and faint. They wouldn't marry anybody in their life for they dedicated their life to Rajesh Khanna.
His fashion and style statement was evident in all the colleges across India. Such was the impact of a man who, with the rigorous use of his voice to communicate a character's lines like 'Pushpa...I hate tears' and 'Babumushai...zindagi jo hain woh badi honi chahiye, lambi nahi' express emotions, which he achieved through attention to diction and commitment to his character. We met the real and the reel superstar who, with his trademark smile and pose, delivered those famous lines from his film Anand and in the ten minutes which we were given, spoke in length about his IIFA Lifetime Achievement Award, how the word 'Kakaji' was born, his superstar status, his film Anand which inspired the country, his first love and first super hit Aradhana, his one liner to describe Kishore Kumar and Bollywood's next superstar, his grandson Aarav.
Congratulations
on
your
Lifetime
Achievement
Award
you've
received
at
this
years
IIFA
Macau.
Thank
you
so
much.
But
this
is
not
my
first
Lifetime
Achievement
Award.
I've
already
got
a
Filmfare
Lifetime
Achievement
when
the
black
lady
turned
into
gold.
Then
I
was
presented
one
during
the
Stardust
Awards
too.
IIFA
is
a
different
feeling
all
together.
IIFA
is
a
very
prestigious
award
and
is
no
less
than
an
Oscar.
IIFA
is
a
heritage
of
participating
to
highlight
the
culture
of
India
to
the
various
countries
of
the
world.
This
is
also
the
first
time
I'm
attending
all
the
three
days
of
the
IIFA
Weekend
and
I'm
really
looking
forward
to
it.
The
entire
world
knows
you
as
'Kakaji'.
Please
tell
us
how
the
word
'Kaka'
became
so
synonymous
with
Rajesh
Khanna?
That's
interesting.
'Kaka'
in
Punjabi
means
a
small
little
baby.
When
I
came
into
films,
I
was
called
'Kaka'
because
I
was
young
and
small
and
with
a
bit
of
respect
they
added
'Ji'.
That's
how
the
world
famous
'Kakaji'
was
born.
Women
kissing
your
car,
women
writing
love
letters
to
you
in
blood,
your
style
of
dressing
and
talking.
Everything
you
did
was
tagged
as
superstar.
No
matter
who
they
are.
Whether
they
are
Hindu,
Muslim,
Sikh,
Christian
or
any
other
community,
I
will
always
be
grateful
to
my
audience.
In
the
corner
of
their
heart,
all
of
them
have
given
me
a
small
little
space,
stored
and
bestowed
me
with
their
love
and
affection.
I
would
also
like
to
thank
my
co-stars
who've
made
me
become
an
actor,
then
a
star
and
then
a
superstar.
Being
a
superstar
isn't
an
individual
achievement
but
it's
the
almighty
above
there
who
thinks
he
likes
me.
All
departments
of
our
film
industry
made
me
an
actor
to
a
star
to
a
superstar.
When
people
are
on
the
verge
of
a
near
collapse
and
some
who
don't
have
much
time
to
spend
with
their
loved
ones,
all
advice
to
watch
Rajesh
Khanna's
Anand.
How
did
you
come
to
know
this?
You're
right.
Even
today,
people
advice
to
watch
Anand
simply
because
it
was
a
path
breaking
film
which
had
a
path
breaking
dialogue,
"Hum
toh
is
rang
manch
ki
katputliya
hain
aur
hum
sab
ki
dor
upar
wale
ke
haath
mein
hain.
Kaun
kya
kab
yeh
koi
nahin
jaanta.
Isliye
babumushai...hey
babumushai,
zindagi
jo
hain
woh
badi
honi
chahiye,
lambi
nahin
honi
chahiye.
Itna
pyaar
zyaada
accha
nahin
hain".
People
cried
a
lot
during
this
final
scene
of
the
film
because
somewhere
it
touched
their
sentiments.
Anand
also
gave
them
an
inspiration
and
a
reason
to
live.
Let's
talk
about
your
first
big
super
hit
Aradhana.
Aradhana
was
the
first
stepping
stone
towards
my
success.
After
that
film,
I
never
had
to
look
back.
For
that,
my
tribute
goes
to
my
favourite
Late
Mr.
Shakti
Samant.
I've
worked
with
him
in
lots
of
films.
He
gave
me
lot
of
encouragement,
lot
of
affection
and
never
made
me
feel
that
Aradhana
was
my
first
super
hit.
Not
many
know
but
I
was
working
with
yet
another
superstar
heroine
Sharmila
Tagore
in
Aradhana.
At
that
time
she
was
more
famous
than
I
was
and
did
not
give
me
the
complex
that
I
was
a
newcomer.
She
is
one
of
the
most
beautiful
and
sophisticated
ladies
I've
ever
seen.
Aradhana
will
always
be
my
first
love.
They
say
that
you
were
the
one
who
gave
Kishore
Kumar
his
second
innings
with
Aradhana.
I
will
just
sum
this
up
in
one
sentence.
I
told
Shakti
Samant
that
Kishore
Kumar
was
my
soul
and
I
was
his
body.
How
is
the
relationship
you
share
with
your
son-in-law
Akshay
Kumar?
Can
you
recall
those
moments
of
sweet
gestures
between
you
two,
the
fatherly
advice,
etc?
I
told
Akshay
that
he
works
in
nice
films.
My
advice
to
him
was
that
he
should
dance,
he
should
entertain,
he
should
do
good
action
but
overall
I
did
tell
him
to
work
in
films
that
have
a
purpose
and
stop
working
in
films
like
the
Khiladi
series.
Other
than
that,
Akshay
is
doing
a
fine
job.
You
proud
of
your
family
tree?
Of
course
yes.
I
am
very
proud
of
this
family
because
of
the
family
tree.
It's
coming
down
from
Rajesh
Khanna
to
Dimple
Kapadia.
From
Dimple
to
Twinkle
Khanna
to
Rinke,
it
moves
to
my
son-in-law
Akshay
Kumar
and
to
my
grandson
Aarav.
I'm,
saying
this
in
public
today
that
after
Rajesh
Khanna
the
superstar,
the
next
in
line
will
be
Aarav,
and
I'm
not
saying
this
because
he
is
the
son
of
Akshay
Kumar
but
because
he
will
carry
the
talent,
the
dedication
and
the
sacrifice
which
everyone
of
us
has
carried
in
our
family.
Aarav
will
be
Indian
Film
Industry's
next
super
star.