Rajesh Khanna, real name Jatin Khanna born on 29 December 1942 and passed away on 18 July 2012, was an acclaimed Indian actor, film producer, and politician renowned for his contributions to Hindi cinema.
Widely recognized as the “First Superstar” of Indian cinema, he achieved unprecedented success with 15 consecutive solo hit films from 1969 to 1971, a record that remains unbroken as of 2019.
His filmography boasts 106 solo hero films, with 97 released between 1967 and 2013, and a modest 22 films with a multi-star cast.
Notably, 82 out of 127 films featuring Rajesh Khanna as the lead received critical acclaim, earning ratings above 4 stars out of 5 from various newspaper film reviewers.
He made his debut in 1966 with “Aakhri Khat,” India’s first official Oscar Entry in 1967. Over the course of his illustrious career, he appeared in over 168 feature films and 12 short films.
Rajesh Khanna was a recipient of numerous accolades, including the Filmfare Best Actor Award thrice and the BFJA Awards for Best Actor (Hindi) four times.
In 1991, he received the Filmfare Special Award for completing 26 years in Hindi cinema, and in 2005, he was honored with the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award on the 50th Anniversary of the Filmfare Awards.
Recognized as the highest-paid Indian actor from 1970 to 1987, Rajesh Khanna served as a Member of Parliament in the 10th Lok Sabha from the New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency between 1992 and 1996.
He was elected in the 1992 New Delhi by-election as an Indian National Congress candidate.
Married to Dimple Kapadia in March 1973, Khanna had two daughters, including Twinkle Khanna, who is married to actor Akshay Kumar.
Rajesh Khanna passed away on 18 July 2012, leaving behind a remarkable legacy. Posthumously, he was honored with India’s third-highest civilian honor, the Padma Bhushan.
Additionally, he has been commemorated with a stamp, a statue, and a road named after him by the Prime Minister of India.
In 2018, a fitness trail in Lajpat Nagar National Park was named after Khanna, a tribute inaugurated by his wife, Dimple Kapadia.
