Rajesh Khanna`s mother could not stand even his on-screen death
Whenever actor Rajesh Khanna died on screen his mother used to curse the directors for the scenes as she could not bear to watch her son`s onscreen death.
|Last Updated: Jul 21, 2012, 12:41 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Pune: Whenever actor Rajesh Khanna died on screen his mother used to curse the directors for the scenes as she could not bear to watch her son`s onscreen death.
"What is it they are showing in these movies? I cannot watch it," she used to tell her close friends.
Reminiscing his family`s close association with the Khannas, Ramesh Bhatlekar said, "His mother Leelavati used to give vent to her feelings while talking to my mother, after he rose to become a star. His screen deaths annoyed her."
Khanna had spent a few months at Bhatlekar`s home during his two-year-long stint as a college student in the city.
The Bollywood icon became a heartthrob of millions in 1960s and the 70s with his portrayal of a romantic hero and also a tragic one in `Anand`, `Safar` and `Baharon Ke Sapne`.
The Khannas and the Bhatlekar family stayed in the same building `Sarsaswati Nivas` at Thakurdwar in Girgaum in Mumbai.
"My father was a family doctor of Chunnilal Khanna, (Rajesh`s father) and we grew together. Later, after passing the matriculation board exam, I moved to Pune, where my father had built a house on Apte Road in Deccan Gymkhana area," the 70-year-old Bhatlekar recalled talking to PTI.
"I took admission in Fergusson college for what was called `pre-degree` (first year) in science stream. Rajesh`s family also decided to send him to Pune for the Arts course. He however, landed late and could not get admission to the same college. Finally, he enrolled in the Wadia College in the city`s camp area," he continued.
Rajesh was just 16-year-old when he came to Pune for
college education and stayed with the Bhatlekars for a few months in their bungalow, before arranging for an alternative accommodation in the vicinity of Wadia college, in Camp area, where he studied from 1959 to 1961 for his BA. That time, the name enrolled was Jatinder Chunnilal Khanna.
Asked about Khanna`s stay with the Bhatlekar family, Ramesh said, "We had a close association with the Khanna family since our Mumbai days and therefore he was comfortable with my mother and liked the Maharashtrian food at our home."
Rajesh went back to Mumbai after his first two years of Bachelor of Arts at Wadia and completed his graduation there.
"We used to play together in Girgaum in Mumbai. Even as a young boy, Rajesh, who had good looks with a pink complexion, always aspired to be an actor. Once he showed me a photograph of his and told me with an innocent pride that he had sent it to Raj Kapoor asking him for a role in films," Bhatlekar said.
"He and his family were always very gracious and maintained relations with us even after he became a star. When he married Dimple in 1973, Rajesh and his family invited us for the wedding in Mumbai.
"Among the large assembly of guest celebrities, when he noticed my parents, he sent Premnath (the late actor) to take us to the stage, where the newly-wed couple was seated accepting greetings...His mother- Leelavati- gifted a traditional saree to my mother on the occasion," Bhatlekar said.
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.