Let me assure one and all that I am a fan of Rajesh Khanna’s early films. But I still feel that we have gone overboard in mourning the passing of a man who was a superstar for 10 years only. After that he was a mess. His later movies (I remember one called Maqsad) were egregiously bad. And so why does a national newspaper which would have reported Sivaji Ganesan’s passing as “veteran actor passes” devote four columns on page 1 to Kaka? Is it a case of kakka?
Based on this, I have left my mind run wild and here are some aspects that have been left out:
1. Arnab Goswami – A panel discussion with Dimple, Tina Munim and Anju Mahendru – Did Rajesh Khanna die of old age or did he miss his fans?
2. A statement from MK- Thambi Rajes was always a lover of Tamil and this is evident in the films of Devar that he acted in. He must have also been sympathetic to Eelam. So I demand a statue of his be put up on the Marina. If I had been in power, it would have been done.
3. PB Srinivos – I have composed a raga called Rajeshkhannapriya. I have also composed a poem on him
4. Mamata Bannerjee’s ultimate tribute – He was not a maoist
5. S Muthiah (after it was explained as to who Rajesh Khanna was) – We will declare Madras Week as Rajesh Khanna week
6. His ardent follower Sriram V – These will be the list of Madras Musings talks for Madras (sorry, Rajesh Khanna week)
19th – S Muthiah – The Anju Mahendru photo that hangs in the Madras Cricket Club – this will also be the subject of a Madras Miscellany column with several postman’s knocks afterwards.
20th – Sriram V – The stories of some of Kaka’s films. A powerpoint presentation
21st – Karthik Bhatt – The Gujarati connection – Rajesh Khanna and Tina Munim
22nd – Sushila Ravindranath – Did his films make money for theatres in Madras?
23rd (Madras day) – Release of first-day cover depicting Rajesh Khanna in Devar’s Haathi Mere Saathi
Talk by Mohan Raman – Kakavum Yaanaiyum
24th – Randor Guy – What Kaka did while not shooting in Madras
25th – Shobha Menon – Trees that Rajesh Khanna ran around in wet clothes while shooting in Madras
26th -Chitrahaar/Oliyum Oliyum special – Song and dance sequences from Rajesh Khanna films
It is also reliably learnt that the Federation of City Based Sabhas has declared that this year’s Music Festival will be dedicated to Rajesh Khanna. All singers must include at least one song each on Rajeshwari and Kannan. The dance programmes must include Rajesh Khanna’s typical movements of angular head shakes and jogging. Lec dems will include a special discussion on the Karanas in Kaka’s Dance.A slew of new awards – Sangita Kakanidhi, Sangita Kaka Shikhamani, Isai premnagar, Sangita Kakacharya etc will be instituted.
However Kalakshetra will not participate in this as it will be busy filing court cases against itself. It has also refused to change its name to Kakakshetra.
Any more ideas welcome
you have outdone yourself. haven’t laughed so much reading a column in awhile! :))
Rajesh Khanna: My family total damage
Still laughing, Sriram
!!!!
Sriram, with due respect to the contribution you have done to the city of madras, your opinion on Super star Rajesh Khanna was not in good taste.Many historians have done extensive homework and written editorial columns on Rajesh Khanna, citing real hard facts of his superstardom and coining the title “super star” on Rajesh Khanna.There may be many stautues of celebrities in Madam Tussad’s, but there are hardly any documentary made on any Indian actor, BBC has done 90 minutes documentary on Rajesh Khanna! do you call this waste of BBC’s prime time?.All prime TV channels are very well aware of the fact that, Time is money, they wouldnt devote entire day for any actor, if he didnt deserve such “Shraddhanjali”.Any actor’s popularity is measured by sheer love by his fans and the innumerble acts of fans in frenzied manner, speaks volume of any actor.
Your crude suggestion of conducting different festivals in Rajesh Khanna’s name is not only ridiculing the departed soul, but also making mockery of the well established cultural centres of Madras.
in our political life there is very little for the common man to cheer or mourn. It is a very macabre scenario. so, if we have had a real superstar, what is your problem?
I forgot to add – The Hindu’s Lit Fest could have a session on Devyani Chaubal and her writings on Rajesh Khanna!
Girish,even serious historians can have a lighter side,so relax! I thought the article was funny!
Dear Sriram ,
I must add this on a serious note – you had mentioned the passing away of “veteran actor” being reported in some footnote – what irked me was the fact that the media suggested that he was INDIA’s first superstar , I will , if proved, accept HINDI’s first superstar but not INDIA’s. MGR , NTR , Raajkumar and above all MKT enjoyed this much much earlier. In fact the British even ran a special Train to take fans to watch MKT sing. All this taking the dust from where he walked etc was done in the 1930s by a much more orthodox set of women. So , there were Superstars much before and there will be others. I understand even K L Saigal enjoyed this status for some time. Devika Rani and our own T P Rajalakshmi amongst the fairer sex.
I do agree with Amar when he says we must all learn to laugh at a situation , so my friend Girish do lighten up. Rajesh as an actor can never measure up to Dilip saab or Sanjeev , but who cares…..He was much admired , very handsome, had Kishore sing his heart out for him and in short was there with the right package at the right time and enjoyed immense success. That is something no sane person can deny.By this little Humour no insults have been sent to smear Rajesh or the great Institutions of Madras.
Long live P.G.Wodehouse and Art Buchwald.
It is v.unfortunate to note the comments of Sriram despite respecting his contribution. The funeral day of Rajesh Khanna bears testimony to the fact that no superstar actor till date can match the stardom that was seen by Rajesh Khanna. Acting is a subjective matter. Everyone is entitled to have is say. No one died better than Rajesh Khanna on screen. No one acted better than him while enacting an emotional scene. The greatness lies in the fact that his acting skills were a combination of sublime dialouge delivery style with subtle intensity & super soft silken voice & along with this stupendous songs. Rajesh Khanna had the maximum respect for the Tamil film industry & the city of Chennai
Maqsad..haha Enjoyed.
every star actor has had his ups & downs . What stardom Rajesh Khanna had seen is something which no other star actor till date has seen. Unforunate to term stating facts as going overboard
Girish and Kannan,
Please try to view the lighter side of things. However, if you do want to be serious, do take the time to read and respond to the points made by some others:
a. He was a superstar for 10+ years, after which his films weren’t, to put it politely, that good
b. There were superstars before and after him who were not only much bigger in stature, but also had longer staying power
Absolutely rediculous . No Superstar had his charishma nor saw the kind of superstardom that he had seen
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