The glittering world of Bollywood stardom often paints a picture of a divine, untouchable existence. For Rajesh Khanna, known fondly as Kaka, this was a reality he lived and breathed during his meteoric rise. With a record 17 consecutive hits in just three years, he was the undisputed king. However, his throne was not permanent. The 1970s witnessed a dramatic shift, and Khanna spent the subsequent decades in a relentless, often tragic, pursuit of that lost glory, a chase that ended only with his life.
The Inevitable Crash and a Refusal to Change
Historians of Hindi cinema often mark the end of the Rajesh Khanna era with the arrival of Amitabh Bachchan in Zanjeer (1973). The same year, their film Namak Haraam made it evident that a new powerhouse had arrived. While Khanna scored sporadic hits like Aap Ki Kasam and Roti afterwards, the tide had turned decisively by 1975. As Bachchan dominated with classics like Sholay and Deewaar, Khanna's solitary release that year was swallowed by the Bachchan-mania.
The core of his struggle was his unwavering belief in his original screen persona. As his frequent co-star Sharmila Tagore noted, he "couldn’t or didn’t reinvent himself to remain contemporary," eventually becoming a caricature that audiences began to mock. His unprofessionalism and reputed binge-drinking sessions further alienated filmmakers like Yash Chopra, who had launched his banner with Khanna's support.
A Moment of Grace and the Last Hit
The 1980s brought a personal and professional low. His marriage to Dimple Kapadia was crumbling, and his career was in freefall. In a 1985 interview, a worried Dimple described his state as "pathetic," painting a picture of a man desperately waiting for weekly box office figures that never brought good news.
A glimmer of hope arrived with Avtaar (1983). In this film, Khanna shed his starry airs, playing an elderly man. Determined, he walked on foot to the Vaishno Devi temple for a shoot and slept on the floor with the crew. In a telling anecdote, co-star Shabana Azmi recalled that with only public toilets available, the once-pampered superstar would stand in line with a dabba (container) in his hand. The film's success felt like a divine blessing, proving he could still deliver a hit.
The Failed Comebacks and Chasing New Highs
Briefly buoyed by the success of Avtaar and Souten, and a new relationship with Tina Munim, Khanna believed he was back. However, he quickly reverted to his old ways. As screenwriter Salim Khan observed, he blamed conspiracies for his failures rather than looking inward.
His subsequent attempts were a series of misadventures:
- Film Production: He ventured into production, investing his own money and reuniting classic teams, but the films flopped, straining his relationship with Tina.
- Politics: He joined the Congress party in the late 80s, seen by some as a replacement for Amitabh Bachchan post-Bofors. He enjoyed the rally euphoria but couldn't sustain the political career beyond five years, with old habits like late-night drunken calls to journalists persisting.
- Television: Seeing TV as the new hope, he threw himself into production, eagerly asking for next-day scripts, only to be reminded that in television, "kal ki script kal hi milegi" (tomorrow's script comes tomorrow).
By the end, his reputation was irreparably damaged. Co-star Sachin Pilgaonkar summed it up: "Unka naam kharab ho gaya tha (His reputation was ruined)." His final attempts, like the controversial poster for Wafaa with a much younger actress, came across as sad grasps for relevance.
Rajesh Khanna passed away at 69. His legacy is a stark bifurcation: the first half defined by unprecedented superstardom, and the second by a relentless, unfulfilled chase to reclaim it, a tragic testament to the fleeting nature of fame and the peril of refusing to evolve.
