It's
only
apt
that
on
the
eve
of
Rajesh
Khanna's
79th
birth
anniversary
(29th
December)
a
movie
on
India's
most
iconic
star,
for
whom
the
term
'Superstar'
was
originally
coined,
is
announced.
Yes,
finally
someone
is
making
a
biopic
on
Hindi
cinema's
'phenomenon'
who
delivered
17
mammoth
blockbusters
in
succession
and
generated
mass
hysteria,
especially
among
women.
Producer
Nikhil
Dwivedi
has
acquired
the
rights
of
Gautam
Chintamani's
book,
'Dark
Star:
The
Loneliness
Of
Being
Rajesh
Khanna',
which
has
topped
the
bestseller
lists
previously.
The
kind
of
mass
adulation
Rajesh
Khanna
evoked
was
evident
from
the
fantail
he
received
by
the
truckloads,
something
which
had
not
been
seen
before
nor
has
been
seen
ever
since.
Such
was
the
craze
about
him
that
female
fans
wrote
letters
in
blood
to
him,
married
his
photographs
and
went
into
mourning
when
he
tied
the
knot
with
Dimple
Kapadia
(in
March
1973).
The
enigmatic
actor,
who
made
his
debut
with
Aakhri
Khat
(1966),
under
the
aegis
of
Chetan
Anand,
had
a
never-seen-before
meteoric
rise,
and
alas,
a
fall
that
was
just
as
speedy.
And
of
course,
not
to
forget,
his
recovery
was
equally
dramatic
too.
Born
Jatin
Khanna,
and
affectionately
called
Kaka
by
his
industry
friends,
was
quite
a
complex
personality,
and
unfortunately,
misunderstood
by
many.
However,
those
who
were
close
to
him
and
benefitted
by
his
largesse,
swear
by
his
large-heartedness.
This
and
many
other
facets
of
the
actor
showcased
in
Gautam
Chintamani's
book,
will
be
brought
to
screen
in
the
Nikhil
Dwivedi-produced
biopic,
which
will
also
be
a
tribute
to
India's
original
superstar.
While
ace
director
Farah
Khan
is
said
to
direct
the
film,
which
she
will
script
along
with
Gautam
Chintamani,
what
everyone
is
waiting
with
bated
breath
to
know
is
who
will
play
the
Phenomenon
of
Hindi
Cinema.
Of
course,
it's
not
going
to
be
a
cakewalk
for
any
actor
to
step
into
the
big
shoes
of
India's
one
and
only
superstar,
but
one
can
be
sure
that
if
the
actor
signs
up
for
the
part
and
plays
it
perfectly,
he's
sure
to
win
all
the
Best
Actor
awards
of
the
season.
Nikhil
Dwivedi
says,
"Yes,
I've
acquired
the
rights
to
Gautam
Chintamani's
book,
Dark
Star,
and
I'm
in
talks
with
Farah
Khan
to
make
the
film.
That's
all
I
can
say
for
now.
As
and
when
any
major
development
happens,
I'll
be
happy
to
share
because
I'm
really
very
excited
about
bringing
Rajesh
Khanna's
story
to
the
big
screen."
Commenting
about
it
Farah
Khan
says,
"Yes
I
have
read
Gautam's
book
and
it's
very
fascinating.
It's
definitely
an
exciting
story.
We
are
in
a
conversation
over
this
but
I
cannot
comment
more".