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Dark Star: The Loneliness of Being Rajesh Khanna
FOREWORD BY SHARMILA TAGORE
The first-ever biography of the enigmatic Rajesh Khanna, the original 'superstar'
If ever a life was meant to be a book, few could stake a stronger claim. Like a shooting star doomed to darkness after a glorious run, Rajesh Khanna spent the better half of his career in the shadow of his own stardom. Yet, forty years after his last monstrous hit, Khanna continues to be the yardstick by which every single Bollywood star is measured.
At a time when film stars were truly larger than life, Khanna was even more: the one for whom the term 'superstar' was coined. Born Jatin Khanna to middle-class parents, the actor was adopted by rich relatives who brought him up like a prince. By the time he won the Filmfare-United Producers Combine Talent Hunt, he was already famous for being the struggler who drove an imported sports car.
With seventeen blockbuster hits in succession and mass adulation rarely seen before or since, the world was at Khanna's feet. Everything he touched turned to gold. The hysteria he generated - women writing him letters in blood, marrying his photograph and donning white when he married Dimple Kapadia, people bringing sick children for his 'healing' touch after Haathi Mere Saathi - was unparalleled. Then, in a matter of months, it all changed. Khanna's career hit a downward spiral as spectacular as his meteoric rise just three years after Aradhana (1969) and never really recovered.
Dark Star looks at the phenomenon of an actor who redefined the 'film star'. Gautam Chintamani's engaging narrative tries to make sense of what it was that made Rajesh Khanna and what accounted for his extraordinary fall. A singular account of a wondrous life.
The first-ever biography of the enigmatic Rajesh Khanna, the original 'superstar'
If ever a life was meant to be a book, few could stake a stronger claim. Like a shooting star doomed to darkness after a glorious run, Rajesh Khanna spent the better half of his career in the shadow of his own stardom. Yet, forty years after his last monstrous hit, Khanna continues to be the yardstick by which every single Bollywood star is measured.
At a time when film stars were truly larger than life, Khanna was even more: the one for whom the term 'superstar' was coined. Born Jatin Khanna to middle-class parents, the actor was adopted by rich relatives who brought him up like a prince. By the time he won the Filmfare-United Producers Combine Talent Hunt, he was already famous for being the struggler who drove an imported sports car.
With seventeen blockbuster hits in succession and mass adulation rarely seen before or since, the world was at Khanna's feet. Everything he touched turned to gold. The hysteria he generated - women writing him letters in blood, marrying his photograph and donning white when he married Dimple Kapadia, people bringing sick children for his 'healing' touch after Haathi Mere Saathi - was unparalleled. Then, in a matter of months, it all changed. Khanna's career hit a downward spiral as spectacular as his meteoric rise just three years after Aradhana (1969) and never really recovered.
Dark Star looks at the phenomenon of an actor who redefined the 'film star'. Gautam Chintamani's engaging narrative tries to make sense of what it was that made Rajesh Khanna and what accounted for his extraordinary fall. A singular account of a wondrous life.
- GenresBiographyNonfiction
242 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
24 people are currently reading
193 people want to read
About the author
Gautam Chintamani
8 books22 followersAuthor of 'Dark Star: The Loneliness of Being Rajesh Khanna' (2014) and 'Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak: The Film That Revived Hindi Cinema' (2016) and 'Pink The Inside Story' (2017).
Gautam's writing has featured in national publications, including a compilation on Dadasaheb Phalke awardees published by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Legends of Indian Silver Screen. He was on the National Film Awards jury for Best Writing on Cinema in 2016.
Gautam is the great-grandson of literarian Sir C.Y. Chintamani and the grandchild of Telugu poet laureate Arudra and noted feminist writer K. Ramalakshmi. He and his wife, Amrita, along with their dog, Buddy, live in Gurgaon and in the hills of Himachal.
Gautam's writing has featured in national publications, including a compilation on Dadasaheb Phalke awardees published by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Legends of Indian Silver Screen. He was on the National Film Awards jury for Best Writing on Cinema in 2016.
Gautam is the great-grandson of literarian Sir C.Y. Chintamani and the grandchild of Telugu poet laureate Arudra and noted feminist writer K. Ramalakshmi. He and his wife, Amrita, along with their dog, Buddy, live in Gurgaon and in the hills of Himachal.
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December 15, 2014
I was born in an odd generation that somehow missed the Rajesh Khanna euphoria. I missed inheriting it from my parents, who had been young and film-crazy when Ashok Kumar, Shammi Kapoor and Dev Anand had been in their prime. And I missed being part of it; I was born just after Rajesh Khanna—who had one of the shortest-ever reigns of any superstar anywhere—had come to the last of his fifteen-in-a-row super hit films.
Yes, I admit it: I am not too much of a Rajesh Khanna fan. I like him alright; I think he's gorgeous in films like Aradhana, and so very poignant in Anand. But I wouldn't go out of my way to read a biography of the man. So, when I received a review copy of Gautam Chintamani's Dark Star: The Loneliness of Being Rajesh Khanna (Harper Collins Publishers India, P-ISBN: 978-93-5029-620-2; E-ISBN: 978-93-5136-340-8; ₹499; 242 pages), I was a little ambivalent. I was not particularly interested in the life of Rajesh Khanna. On the other hand, this man had acted in some of the greatest hits of the late 60s, films that were both extremely popular as well as critically acclaimed.
I finally decided I might as well read Dark Star.
And ended up being enthralled by it. Chintamani's biography of Rajesh Khanna—a man once so popular that he received fan mail written in blood (with accompanying certificates from doctors to confirm that the 'ink' was indeed human blood!); women 'married' his photograph, or bent to the road when his car passed and put the dust in the parting of their hair in lieu of sindoor—is a fascinating account of how a man with no filmi connections entered Hindi cinema, shot to the top in what can only be called a meteoric rise—and then suddenly fell, his collapse just as spectacular as his rise.
Dark Star: The Loneliness of Being Rajesh Khanna begins with a foreword by Sharmila Tagore (apt, considering she was Rajesh Khanna’s co-star not merely in his first big hit Aradhana, but also in a series of extremely popular films, including Safar and Amar Prem). The foreword, besides being a good introduction to the book, is also, perhaps ironically, very suited to what follows; it is not an unadulterated paean to Rajesh Khanna. While praising Khanna’s ‘disarming smile, youthful energy, an innate sense of drama and a well-modulated voice,’ Ms Tagore talks also of his inability to arrive on time for a shoot: for a 9 am shift, he never arrived before noon—and since Sharmila Tagore reached the studios by 8 am and wanted to be home with her family by 8 pm, it was hard on her. She writes how, when they stopped doing films together, “… it was a huge relief”.
The book itself is in a similar vein: while it acknowledges Rajesh Khanna’s contribution to Hindi cinema, and while it is a biography of Hindi cinema’s first ‘superstar’, it is not a biased, he-could-do-no-wrong telling of this man’s story. Instead, over the course of 16 chapters—from Childhood, College and Struggle to Pack-Up, Chintamani uses everything from interviews with people who knew or worked with Rajesh Khanna, to excerpts from magazine and newspaper articles, to references from blog posts (our very own Memsaab finds a mention!) to present a many-sided view of Rajesh Khanna, the man as an actor.
Born Jatin Khanna in 1942, Khanna grew up in Bombay, where he was adopted and brought up by his childless uncle and aunt. Nicknamed Kaka when he a child, Khanna had a privileged, even spoilt childhood. In college, along with his old schoolmate Ravi Kapoor (who went on to become another star, Jeetendra), Khanna took to theatre. The switch from theatre to cinema did not come easily; but when it came—with Khanna’s winning the Filmfare-United Producers Combine Talent Hunt competition—it came with some of the biggest names in the industry. Part of the contract for the winner of the competition was that each of the film makers who were part of the United Producers Combine was to make a film with the winner. Considering these included stalwarts like Nasir Hussain, BR Chopra, Bimal Roy, Shakti Samanta, HS Rawail, GP Sippy and Subodh Mukherji, it meant the moon and the stars could be within the grasp of the winner—and Jatin Khanna it was.
But, since ‘Jeetendra’ (almost the same as Jatindra, Jatin’s official name) was already taken, he chose another name: ‘Rajesh’ Khanna. And debuted in one of the most offbeat films—and role—a Hindi film actor of the 60s could have chosen: that of Govind, a man who deserts his pregnant lover, in Chetan Anand’s Aakhri Khat. Aakhri Khat, along with Rajesh Khanna’s next two films—Raaz and Bahaaaron ke Sapne—made little impact on the box office. Aurat (1967) didn’t do well either, but with his fifth film—Aradhana—Rajesh Khanna struck gold. There was no looking back then, as he piled up one hit after the other, in a straight run of 15 films, leaving the rest of the competition behind and creating a sensation such as Hindi cinema had never seen before.
A sensation, as it happened, that actually lasted for only about 3 years—because, by about 1972, Rajesh Khanna’s luck had begun to run out. It wasn’t just the fact that a certain young man who’d acted the earnest doctor to Khanna’s dying but ebullient patient in Anand had suddenly started to shine. It was also that Hindi cinema was changing, its dynamics and metaphors and what worked (or didn’t) were changing.
Gautam Chintamani shows the road Rajesh Khanna travelled, and in the process shows us much of the man himself: generous (even effusively so) at times, ruthless, imperious, labouring under the weight of his own stardom at others. There are stories of the darbars he used to host at his home; of his high-handedness when dealing with film makers; his attempts—sometimes failed, sometimes successful (as in Kudrat) at reinventing himself.
The book touches briefly on Khanna’s personal life, but the emphasis remains on the professional. And the end result is an interesting look at Rajesh Khanna. There is trivia (one that stood out for me was the fact that Rajesh Khanna could—without the help of glycerine—summon tears, at one word from the director). There are anecdotes (an interesting contrast, for instance, between how Khanna gave 7 difficult retakes for an emotional scene in Aap ki Kasam, even though the retakes were not his fault; but—just a few years later—was insufferably high-handed about giving a retake for a scene he couldn’t get right in Mehbooba). There is stuff about how films came to be made (and there’s a brief synopsis for each film), and there is, now and then, an account of Khanna’s relations with film makers, other actors, his fans.
But what I came away with when I finally closed Dark Star was not a head full of trivia and Rajesh Khanna anecdotes, but a feel of what a complex character this man was. How successful, how longing for that now-elusive success shortly after. How apt an example of ‘fallen star’. How much more than just his roles.
A satisfying book, even for someone who’s not a Rajesh Khanna fan, or not much.
P.S. And yes, one thing that I liked a lot: each chapter heading has a subject-appropriate tagline drawn from a Rajesh Khanna song. Pack-Up, the last chapter, for instance, has the tagline Achcha toh hum chalte hain. Very clever, and it reminded me, even as I read the book, of all the many hit songs picturised on Rajesh Khanna.
(Originally posted on my blog: http://madhulikaliddle.com/2014/12/15...)
Yes, I admit it: I am not too much of a Rajesh Khanna fan. I like him alright; I think he's gorgeous in films like Aradhana, and so very poignant in Anand. But I wouldn't go out of my way to read a biography of the man. So, when I received a review copy of Gautam Chintamani's Dark Star: The Loneliness of Being Rajesh Khanna (Harper Collins Publishers India, P-ISBN: 978-93-5029-620-2; E-ISBN: 978-93-5136-340-8; ₹499; 242 pages), I was a little ambivalent. I was not particularly interested in the life of Rajesh Khanna. On the other hand, this man had acted in some of the greatest hits of the late 60s, films that were both extremely popular as well as critically acclaimed.
I finally decided I might as well read Dark Star.
And ended up being enthralled by it. Chintamani's biography of Rajesh Khanna—a man once so popular that he received fan mail written in blood (with accompanying certificates from doctors to confirm that the 'ink' was indeed human blood!); women 'married' his photograph, or bent to the road when his car passed and put the dust in the parting of their hair in lieu of sindoor—is a fascinating account of how a man with no filmi connections entered Hindi cinema, shot to the top in what can only be called a meteoric rise—and then suddenly fell, his collapse just as spectacular as his rise.
Dark Star: The Loneliness of Being Rajesh Khanna begins with a foreword by Sharmila Tagore (apt, considering she was Rajesh Khanna’s co-star not merely in his first big hit Aradhana, but also in a series of extremely popular films, including Safar and Amar Prem). The foreword, besides being a good introduction to the book, is also, perhaps ironically, very suited to what follows; it is not an unadulterated paean to Rajesh Khanna. While praising Khanna’s ‘disarming smile, youthful energy, an innate sense of drama and a well-modulated voice,’ Ms Tagore talks also of his inability to arrive on time for a shoot: for a 9 am shift, he never arrived before noon—and since Sharmila Tagore reached the studios by 8 am and wanted to be home with her family by 8 pm, it was hard on her. She writes how, when they stopped doing films together, “… it was a huge relief”.
The book itself is in a similar vein: while it acknowledges Rajesh Khanna’s contribution to Hindi cinema, and while it is a biography of Hindi cinema’s first ‘superstar’, it is not a biased, he-could-do-no-wrong telling of this man’s story. Instead, over the course of 16 chapters—from Childhood, College and Struggle to Pack-Up, Chintamani uses everything from interviews with people who knew or worked with Rajesh Khanna, to excerpts from magazine and newspaper articles, to references from blog posts (our very own Memsaab finds a mention!) to present a many-sided view of Rajesh Khanna, the man as an actor.
Born Jatin Khanna in 1942, Khanna grew up in Bombay, where he was adopted and brought up by his childless uncle and aunt. Nicknamed Kaka when he a child, Khanna had a privileged, even spoilt childhood. In college, along with his old schoolmate Ravi Kapoor (who went on to become another star, Jeetendra), Khanna took to theatre. The switch from theatre to cinema did not come easily; but when it came—with Khanna’s winning the Filmfare-United Producers Combine Talent Hunt competition—it came with some of the biggest names in the industry. Part of the contract for the winner of the competition was that each of the film makers who were part of the United Producers Combine was to make a film with the winner. Considering these included stalwarts like Nasir Hussain, BR Chopra, Bimal Roy, Shakti Samanta, HS Rawail, GP Sippy and Subodh Mukherji, it meant the moon and the stars could be within the grasp of the winner—and Jatin Khanna it was.
But, since ‘Jeetendra’ (almost the same as Jatindra, Jatin’s official name) was already taken, he chose another name: ‘Rajesh’ Khanna. And debuted in one of the most offbeat films—and role—a Hindi film actor of the 60s could have chosen: that of Govind, a man who deserts his pregnant lover, in Chetan Anand’s Aakhri Khat. Aakhri Khat, along with Rajesh Khanna’s next two films—Raaz and Bahaaaron ke Sapne—made little impact on the box office. Aurat (1967) didn’t do well either, but with his fifth film—Aradhana—Rajesh Khanna struck gold. There was no looking back then, as he piled up one hit after the other, in a straight run of 15 films, leaving the rest of the competition behind and creating a sensation such as Hindi cinema had never seen before.
A sensation, as it happened, that actually lasted for only about 3 years—because, by about 1972, Rajesh Khanna’s luck had begun to run out. It wasn’t just the fact that a certain young man who’d acted the earnest doctor to Khanna’s dying but ebullient patient in Anand had suddenly started to shine. It was also that Hindi cinema was changing, its dynamics and metaphors and what worked (or didn’t) were changing.
Gautam Chintamani shows the road Rajesh Khanna travelled, and in the process shows us much of the man himself: generous (even effusively so) at times, ruthless, imperious, labouring under the weight of his own stardom at others. There are stories of the darbars he used to host at his home; of his high-handedness when dealing with film makers; his attempts—sometimes failed, sometimes successful (as in Kudrat) at reinventing himself.
The book touches briefly on Khanna’s personal life, but the emphasis remains on the professional. And the end result is an interesting look at Rajesh Khanna. There is trivia (one that stood out for me was the fact that Rajesh Khanna could—without the help of glycerine—summon tears, at one word from the director). There are anecdotes (an interesting contrast, for instance, between how Khanna gave 7 difficult retakes for an emotional scene in Aap ki Kasam, even though the retakes were not his fault; but—just a few years later—was insufferably high-handed about giving a retake for a scene he couldn’t get right in Mehbooba). There is stuff about how films came to be made (and there’s a brief synopsis for each film), and there is, now and then, an account of Khanna’s relations with film makers, other actors, his fans.
But what I came away with when I finally closed Dark Star was not a head full of trivia and Rajesh Khanna anecdotes, but a feel of what a complex character this man was. How successful, how longing for that now-elusive success shortly after. How apt an example of ‘fallen star’. How much more than just his roles.
A satisfying book, even for someone who’s not a Rajesh Khanna fan, or not much.
P.S. And yes, one thing that I liked a lot: each chapter heading has a subject-appropriate tagline drawn from a Rajesh Khanna song. Pack-Up, the last chapter, for instance, has the tagline Achcha toh hum chalte hain. Very clever, and it reminded me, even as I read the book, of all the many hit songs picturised on Rajesh Khanna.
(Originally posted on my blog: http://madhulikaliddle.com/2014/12/15...)
September 26, 2020
A most honest biography that looks through the life and times of the First Superstar, this is a book that charts Khanna's life from the beginning to the end through his cinematic journey in Bollywood. From winning the talent hunt by Producers Combine to his rise to stardom with movies like Aradhana and Amar Prem, from his open rivalry with Amitabh Bachchan to his impulsive wedding to Dimple and his open affairs with Anju Mahendru and Tina Munim, this book covers it all.
The treatment of the book is true in the sense that it throws light on the actor's life through the movies that he did and not through titillating anecdotes. These movies were Rajesh's way of expressing himself in various phases of his career and he so loved the spotlight. He always considered himself the King of Box Office and the King of Romance and took these titles way too seriously. No wonder he retained his charismatic smile and the spark in his eyes till the very last as seen in his last commercial for Havells shot by R Balki.
The book also captures the star's reckless actions and how he always longed for stardom even in his last days. Somewhere it also brings out the vulnerability of the softer and charming person that he was in an era dominated by action, violence and raw physicality. In personal life also, it seems, that Khanna's search for love and his insecurities got the better of him.
Still remembered for his golden heydeys, his musical filmography with the likes of Kishore Kumar and RD Burman, his huge fandom, his portrayal of sensitive roles, his championing of women oriented movies and his inimitable style of acting with his charming smile, Rajesh Khanna is a Dark Star who noone can forget. The very fact that he did not last long unlike Bachchan has kept his ever young and innocently charming image fresh in the minds of his admirers and it will remain so till a very long time.
The treatment of the book is true in the sense that it throws light on the actor's life through the movies that he did and not through titillating anecdotes. These movies were Rajesh's way of expressing himself in various phases of his career and he so loved the spotlight. He always considered himself the King of Box Office and the King of Romance and took these titles way too seriously. No wonder he retained his charismatic smile and the spark in his eyes till the very last as seen in his last commercial for Havells shot by R Balki.
The book also captures the star's reckless actions and how he always longed for stardom even in his last days. Somewhere it also brings out the vulnerability of the softer and charming person that he was in an era dominated by action, violence and raw physicality. In personal life also, it seems, that Khanna's search for love and his insecurities got the better of him.
Still remembered for his golden heydeys, his musical filmography with the likes of Kishore Kumar and RD Burman, his huge fandom, his portrayal of sensitive roles, his championing of women oriented movies and his inimitable style of acting with his charming smile, Rajesh Khanna is a Dark Star who noone can forget. The very fact that he did not last long unlike Bachchan has kept his ever young and innocently charming image fresh in the minds of his admirers and it will remain so till a very long time.
November 29, 2017
I love books based on the Hindi film industry. This biography of Rajesh Khanna, besides being aptly titled, was well written too. It concentrated more on his films and less on his personal life’s failures and successes.
February 17, 2015
An insightful look into the ups and downs of Rajesh Khanna's career. The first "superstar" of the Indian film industry, this was a man consumed by his own myth.
The author treads a fine line (successfully, I might add) of staying on topic and doesn't bring references of the actor's personal life unless it is connected or required.
A brilliant portrayal of the career graph of a man who was once the romantic ideal and idol of many a women...
The author treads a fine line (successfully, I might add) of staying on topic and doesn't bring references of the actor's personal life unless it is connected or required.
A brilliant portrayal of the career graph of a man who was once the romantic ideal and idol of many a women...
May 3, 2018
If we should learn from someone's life, it surely would be the one with the most ups and downs. We have seen numerous stars rise and fall before us but never did India witness an immediate rise and fall of someone before and after Rajesh Khanna.
Born to an aristocratic business family, brought up and spoilt by the familial love, Jatin Khanna had the seeds of ego , narcissism and possessiveness right from the childhood. From his rise as a theater artist, to the winner of an acting contest to the first superstar in the history of Indian cinema to the deepest fall in history, Jatin aka Rajesh Khanna's life has everything that a thrilling blockbuster would ask for.
Author has portrayed the actor's life with the level of reflection that none would dare to. Author has managed to contact practically everyone barring a few to have a clearer idea of what led to what and has succeeded to a great extend. Author has beautifully explained each and every film by the actor right from the plot to the songs to the behind the camera glimpses. If adapted into a movie, the book has everything that the maker would ask for.
The parallel track of the rise of Amitabh Bachan is depicted so subtly that author has put forward the real circumstances that led to the change in graph of the actor at the same time managing to make sure that he did not hurt anyone's sentiments. Deliberately or due to lack of data, author has not delved much into the personal life of the legendary actor, which might be disappointing to an average voyeuristic reader.
While author has put forward the facts to the maximum precision possible, interpretation of some of the actions of the actor, for eg. decision to marry Dimple, were uni-linear and inspired from the assumptions of the third persons, which could have been wrong. But author has made sure not to be too vocal about the same. The book is surely a lesson to every youth as to how one should not get carried away by his/her success. the biography proves that handling success and remembering their base is important to anyone irrespective of the level of success.
I recommend this book to everyone who wants to become a winner.
Born to an aristocratic business family, brought up and spoilt by the familial love, Jatin Khanna had the seeds of ego , narcissism and possessiveness right from the childhood. From his rise as a theater artist, to the winner of an acting contest to the first superstar in the history of Indian cinema to the deepest fall in history, Jatin aka Rajesh Khanna's life has everything that a thrilling blockbuster would ask for.
Author has portrayed the actor's life with the level of reflection that none would dare to. Author has managed to contact practically everyone barring a few to have a clearer idea of what led to what and has succeeded to a great extend. Author has beautifully explained each and every film by the actor right from the plot to the songs to the behind the camera glimpses. If adapted into a movie, the book has everything that the maker would ask for.
The parallel track of the rise of Amitabh Bachan is depicted so subtly that author has put forward the real circumstances that led to the change in graph of the actor at the same time managing to make sure that he did not hurt anyone's sentiments. Deliberately or due to lack of data, author has not delved much into the personal life of the legendary actor, which might be disappointing to an average voyeuristic reader.
While author has put forward the facts to the maximum precision possible, interpretation of some of the actions of the actor, for eg. decision to marry Dimple, were uni-linear and inspired from the assumptions of the third persons, which could have been wrong. But author has made sure not to be too vocal about the same. The book is surely a lesson to every youth as to how one should not get carried away by his/her success. the biography proves that handling success and remembering their base is important to anyone irrespective of the level of success.
I recommend this book to everyone who wants to become a winner.
September 18, 2019
What a wonderful book to finish with!!! It was like a treat to read story of a Megastar Rajesh Khanna who was mostly known as Kaka. The writer Gautam Chnitamani has thrown light on every aspect of Kaka's life with his elegant writing style. The story takes you on ride like roller coaster throughout Khanna's life's ups and downs.
The story teaches you to be humble even if you are at the top of your professional life. The people you are humiliating or hurting today only because of their circumstance today they may become successful or even star in future. It is very important to be kind, humble and respectful to the people around you be it your personal or professional life and Khanna somehow ignored this most important aspect of life and paid heavily for his mistake.
One more thing to be learned from Khanna episode is to be always be updated with the constant change happening around you because what is hit, successful and flourishing today is not going to be there always, time is going to change and you cannot afford to be living in same pattern of life. When Amitabh Bachhan wave arrived with symbolic angry young man image after Zanjeer it completely devastated Khanna and he was being entirely isolated from the audience and film fraternity. He could not make sense of the situation and being in total frustration started doing more mistakes which totally sank his career boat.
Also his personal life had many flaws with relationships with Anjoo Mahendru, Tina Munim and failed marriage with Dimple. He was born in super rich business family and somehow because of his improper upbringing he had no value for people, relationships and money for which he had to pay heavily in his adult life.
The final touch of the story with Khanna facing camera for the last time in his life was Havells advertisement mad by Balki and the writer has elaborated this story in very interesting manner which is like a climax of fascinating life of Rajesh Khanna a legend of Bollywood.
The story teaches you to be humble even if you are at the top of your professional life. The people you are humiliating or hurting today only because of their circumstance today they may become successful or even star in future. It is very important to be kind, humble and respectful to the people around you be it your personal or professional life and Khanna somehow ignored this most important aspect of life and paid heavily for his mistake.
One more thing to be learned from Khanna episode is to be always be updated with the constant change happening around you because what is hit, successful and flourishing today is not going to be there always, time is going to change and you cannot afford to be living in same pattern of life. When Amitabh Bachhan wave arrived with symbolic angry young man image after Zanjeer it completely devastated Khanna and he was being entirely isolated from the audience and film fraternity. He could not make sense of the situation and being in total frustration started doing more mistakes which totally sank his career boat.
Also his personal life had many flaws with relationships with Anjoo Mahendru, Tina Munim and failed marriage with Dimple. He was born in super rich business family and somehow because of his improper upbringing he had no value for people, relationships and money for which he had to pay heavily in his adult life.
The final touch of the story with Khanna facing camera for the last time in his life was Havells advertisement mad by Balki and the writer has elaborated this story in very interesting manner which is like a climax of fascinating life of Rajesh Khanna a legend of Bollywood.
July 21, 2025
Reading Dark Star was like being taken on a bittersweet journey through a chapter of Indian cinema that is as dazzling as it is melancholic. As someone who grew up hearing about the legend of Rajesh Khanna from my parents—about his magical screen presence, the inexplicable frenzy he evoked—I was drawn to this book with curiosity, if not nostalgia.
Gautam Chintamani does a commendable job of capturing both the glory and the gloom of Khanna’s life. The book’s strength lies in its tone—neither hagiographic nor cruel. It treads a careful line, neither romanticising his superstardom nor trivialising his decline. I particularly appreciated how the author didn’t just focus on Khanna’s box-office numbers, but also explored the cultural moment he embodied: the early '70s, when India needed escape, charm, and fantasy—and Khanna delivered, almost effortlessly.
The anecdotes are the real treasure here. The stories of fans writing him letters in blood or treating him like a divine figure after Haathi Mere Saathi could have sounded absurd, but Chintamani presents them with restraint and empathy, allowing the reader to draw their own conclusions about the cost of living inside a myth.
Read the full review here: https://www.aliveshadow.com/category-...
Gautam Chintamani does a commendable job of capturing both the glory and the gloom of Khanna’s life. The book’s strength lies in its tone—neither hagiographic nor cruel. It treads a careful line, neither romanticising his superstardom nor trivialising his decline. I particularly appreciated how the author didn’t just focus on Khanna’s box-office numbers, but also explored the cultural moment he embodied: the early '70s, when India needed escape, charm, and fantasy—and Khanna delivered, almost effortlessly.
The anecdotes are the real treasure here. The stories of fans writing him letters in blood or treating him like a divine figure after Haathi Mere Saathi could have sounded absurd, but Chintamani presents them with restraint and empathy, allowing the reader to draw their own conclusions about the cost of living inside a myth.
Read the full review here: https://www.aliveshadow.com/category-...
September 18, 2025
Rajesh Khanna’s life read like a Shakespearean tragedy—
Five acts of brilliance and despair
Ending like Shelley’s Ozymandias, a fallen king with nothing but ruins around him?
He was not just an actor, he was a revolution.
In the 1960s, amidst The Lions, Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar and Dev Anand, a unicorn emerged through a talent hunt that changed Indian cinema forever.
His debut, Aradhana wasn’t just a film—it was his coronation.
Like Romeo, like Hamlet—he challenged the norms.
His characters spoke of love before marriage, children outside wedlock—things unthinkable then.
Fans didn’t just admire him, they revered him—letters in blood, married his photographs.
But Shakespeare teaches us: pride blinds kings.
Khanna grew insecure, paranoid, dismissive of collaborators; notably Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar.
He snubbed Amitabh Bachchan… only to watch him rise as the new sun.
From 15 back-to-back hits to a streak of flops—the fall was brutal.
Like King Lear, he discovered—power fades, even when pride lingers. Illness and isolation closed in.
And here’s where Shelley’s Ozymandias comes alive—
‘Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair.’
Gautam Chintamani’s Dark Star isn’t just a biography—it’s a modern tragedy.
Rajesh Khanna lived like a comet… dazzling, burning, and destined to fade.
Five acts of brilliance and despair
Ending like Shelley’s Ozymandias, a fallen king with nothing but ruins around him?
He was not just an actor, he was a revolution.
In the 1960s, amidst The Lions, Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar and Dev Anand, a unicorn emerged through a talent hunt that changed Indian cinema forever.
His debut, Aradhana wasn’t just a film—it was his coronation.
Like Romeo, like Hamlet—he challenged the norms.
His characters spoke of love before marriage, children outside wedlock—things unthinkable then.
Fans didn’t just admire him, they revered him—letters in blood, married his photographs.
But Shakespeare teaches us: pride blinds kings.
Khanna grew insecure, paranoid, dismissive of collaborators; notably Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar.
He snubbed Amitabh Bachchan… only to watch him rise as the new sun.
From 15 back-to-back hits to a streak of flops—the fall was brutal.
Like King Lear, he discovered—power fades, even when pride lingers. Illness and isolation closed in.
And here’s where Shelley’s Ozymandias comes alive—
‘Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair.’
Gautam Chintamani’s Dark Star isn’t just a biography—it’s a modern tragedy.
Rajesh Khanna lived like a comet… dazzling, burning, and destined to fade.
March 26, 2019
This is melancholic reading even for the ones not fanatic for Rajesh Khanna. The story of the actor's meteoric rise and even sharper fall is well-known but not well-chronicled. That's sad considering Khanna was India's first bonafide superstar. Chintamani does well to fill a conspicuous gap. There's the usual fare of unknown tidbits about actor's personal life thrown in. This book, however, is a summary of his professional life. Interesting vignettes about his movies and his relationships with colleagues makes this extremely readable. The author is clearly a fan of his subject and tends to glorify his rather pedestrian acting abilities. That apart, 'Dark Star' is a pretty unbiased account of a remarkable career that promised more than it delivered.
October 2, 2022
Wanted to read about Rajesh Khanna for long time, finally managed to get this book.
Surely worth a read if you are curious about the first superstar of Indian film industry.
The book narrates Kaka's life story from his superstardom to his last ad of Havell's fan !
The really interesting thing which this book unearth is the effort Kaka put in to gain back his superstardom. Also the experiments he did along the way like starring in Horror flick to playing a psycho in Red Rose. This was a totally new information for people from my generation who only read about his lonely and depressing life with too much melancholia.
Ok not all the efforts paid off, but he managed to give some really amazing flicks like Sautan, Avatar in his later stage.
Surely worth a read if you are curious about the first superstar of Indian film industry.
The book narrates Kaka's life story from his superstardom to his last ad of Havell's fan !
The really interesting thing which this book unearth is the effort Kaka put in to gain back his superstardom. Also the experiments he did along the way like starring in Horror flick to playing a psycho in Red Rose. This was a totally new information for people from my generation who only read about his lonely and depressing life with too much melancholia.
Ok not all the efforts paid off, but he managed to give some really amazing flicks like Sautan, Avatar in his later stage.
September 13, 2020
Partly entertaining, partly boring, give the feel like a big Wikipedia. The only crucial information of the book is Rajesh Khanna sexually molested and attempted to rape 15 year old debutante minor actress Sabeeha (Khiladi 1994) on the set of the film Anokha Rishta (1986).
December 28, 2020
If you're looking whether to read this or Yasser Usman's book- this one is crisper, bit detached and deals more with professional life whereas Usman's account is more dramatic and detailed and goes to talk about personal life too.
February 27, 2018
Beautiful
Very heart touching and nicely narrated...came to know much more than knew about legend of legend and all time super star.
Very heart touching and nicely narrated...came to know much more than knew about legend of legend and all time super star.
June 28, 2020
A readable account of Hindi cinema’s first and only superstar.
January 2, 2022
Brutally honest biography of Hindi cinema's first superstar.
February 10, 2022
I love to read biography books especially of great leaders, scientists & our legendary actors. Rajesh khanna - the India's first superstar - gem stone of Indian cinema. He had given 15 consective hit movies in just 2 years, which is still a record.
You will a lot about his life , family , struggling period and his stardum.
Legend never die, they shine as a star forever !!
You will a lot about his life , family , struggling period and his stardum.
Legend never die, they shine as a star forever !!
March 6, 2017
Though not a fan of the superstar, this book compels one to make a list of Late Rajesh Khanna's films and watch it only because the author has shared perspective that's unthinkable. I am going to do just that along with a friend who first read the book and recommended that I should read too.
Author Gautam Chintamani's narrative makes you part of the superstar's life in such a way that you can't stay away from the book till it says 'pack up'. Love the way the chapter names are taken from lines of his songs. Imagine a line summarising your life in so many ways!
Mr. Khanna may have been a spoilt brat or a self-obsessed person who apparently couldn't love anyone more than himself but that never came in the way of his fan following, especially with the ladies. Letters written in blood is testimony to that love.
And, though the Khans pretty much enjoy star status today and play romantic leads even at 50 (God bless the plastic surgeons), they can't exude the same charm and aura as Kaka. There will never be another Rajesh Khanna.
Author Gautam Chintamani's narrative makes you part of the superstar's life in such a way that you can't stay away from the book till it says 'pack up'. Love the way the chapter names are taken from lines of his songs. Imagine a line summarising your life in so many ways!
Mr. Khanna may have been a spoilt brat or a self-obsessed person who apparently couldn't love anyone more than himself but that never came in the way of his fan following, especially with the ladies. Letters written in blood is testimony to that love.
And, though the Khans pretty much enjoy star status today and play romantic leads even at 50 (God bless the plastic surgeons), they can't exude the same charm and aura as Kaka. There will never be another Rajesh Khanna.
October 3, 2016
The book starts off with a forward by Sharmila Tagore and it made my heart glad, because I was coming from reading another biography of Khanna where his leading ladies don't get heard at all. They say a life is as interesting as the person who you choose to tell your story. In the hands of a good author who puts in hours in research, a sparkling life also becomes brilliant.
This book is well researched and most of the information comes from people who worked with Khanna in some capacity. The writing is nuanced, you get a glimpse of the pampered star, the fading star and the gregarious soul that was Khanna.
Unlike his contemporaries, Chintamani gives the gossip surrounding the superstar's life a fleeting mention instead focusing on his movies and his famed temperament.
My grouse with this book and the reason why I went with 4 stars, was that I would so have loved to hear from his heroines. Khanna was much ahead of his times, his blockbuster works were films which were heroine oriented and he was perhaps the only star in Bollywood who had the guts to work in films where the heroines had the author backed roles. And yet, they are remembered as much as his films as theirs.
Still if you want to read a biography of Khanna ever, choose this.
This book is well researched and most of the information comes from people who worked with Khanna in some capacity. The writing is nuanced, you get a glimpse of the pampered star, the fading star and the gregarious soul that was Khanna.
Unlike his contemporaries, Chintamani gives the gossip surrounding the superstar's life a fleeting mention instead focusing on his movies and his famed temperament.
My grouse with this book and the reason why I went with 4 stars, was that I would so have loved to hear from his heroines. Khanna was much ahead of his times, his blockbuster works were films which were heroine oriented and he was perhaps the only star in Bollywood who had the guts to work in films where the heroines had the author backed roles. And yet, they are remembered as much as his films as theirs.
Still if you want to read a biography of Khanna ever, choose this.
January 4, 2015
The best take on a celebrity's life can be posthumously. At least this is what this very well researched and balanced book proves. Rajesh Khanna's blockbuster days may have been over, but his die hard fans and his haters never reduced, even decades after his days of super stardom.
The best examples being that the Kingdom of Dreams is running a romantic musical called Jhumroo, which is a tribute to Kishore Kumar. 13 songs, and NOT A SINGLE from a Kaka movie. Impossible to believe its an oversight.
This book, right from Sharmila Tagore's foreword is an objective biography.
As a narrative, it is engaging, and 2 days is the fastest I have finished any book in these electronic days.
Strongly recommend for any Indian.
Gautam Chintamani is a great writer. Await his next.
The best examples being that the Kingdom of Dreams is running a romantic musical called Jhumroo, which is a tribute to Kishore Kumar. 13 songs, and NOT A SINGLE from a Kaka movie. Impossible to believe its an oversight.
This book, right from Sharmila Tagore's foreword is an objective biography.
As a narrative, it is engaging, and 2 days is the fastest I have finished any book in these electronic days.
Strongly recommend for any Indian.
Gautam Chintamani is a great writer. Await his next.
October 19, 2016
Fascinating, in a fairy tale sort of way. Gives some insight in the field of Hindi cinema over the past four decades and the way Rajesh Khanna was perceived by contemporaries, fans, colleagues, family and friends. It's such a shame we can't hear his own side of the story anymore. He was the most human of superstars, meaning his reaction to his stardom and its failure after only a couple of years is very comprehensible from a regular human perspective. Maybe if he in fact had been a god, he would have coped better. Considering the book is about larger-than-life events and characters in the environment of the spectacular mainstream Hindi cinema from the 70s up untill today, it is written in a rather moderate style, crediting multiple views on the phenomenon that was Rajesh Khanna.
July 5, 2015
Happiness lies within oneself. Wish he could have lived longer.
Good material to read about superstar. Couldn't put it down. RK lives in our memories not matter what mannerisms he had.
Good material to read about superstar. Couldn't put it down. RK lives in our memories not matter what mannerisms he had.
June 20, 2016
Good narration and interesting information about the first super star of Bollywood. Can conclude that the star was highly misinterpreted by media and fans as well.
Awaiting next book from Gautam.
Awaiting next book from Gautam.
July 19, 2015
You can give this a miss....
December 4, 2015
Kahin door jab din dhal jae...
March 27, 2017
Another great book about THE Bollywood legend !!
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