The style icon of the Bollywood of 1970s and 80s, Vinod Khanna is no more. Also an active politician, Member of Parliament from Gurdaspur, Punjab, Khanna passed away on Thursday morning. The 70-year-old veteran actor was reportedly battling cancer.
In his illustrious Bollywood career, Khanna had done more than 100 films. He kickstarted his acting career with a negative role in Sunil Dutt's 1968 film Man Ka Meet. His big opportunity to play the lead came with 1971 film, Hum Tum Aur Woh. Since then, there has been no looking back for Khanna, until he decided to take a break from films in 1982 to follow the path of his guru Osho Rajneesh. He returned to the world of cinema in 1987 with Insaaf and delivered a series of noteworthy performances. He was last seen in Shah Rukh Khan starrer Diwale in 2015.
As India mourns the loss of a bright and charismatic actor and politician, let's take a look at Khanna's five career-defining performances.
Mere Apne (1971)
Veteran poet and filmmaker Gulzar's directorial debut proved to be a path-breaking career opportunity for Khanna. A remake of National Award-winning Bengali film Apanjan, Mere Apne is a simple story of an old woman who finds love and affection among strangers, who later become her family. In the film, Khanna shared the screen space with actor Shatrughan Sinha and legend Meena Kumari.
Achanak (1973)
Long before Askhay Kumar took home the National Film Award for his role as an Indian Navy officer who kills his wife's paramour in Tinu Suresh Desai's Rustom,Gulzar explored the theme—based on the K.M. Nanavati scandal—in Achanak. In the film, Khanna played the lead role of an Army officer, Major Ranjeet, who finds out about his wife's affair with his friend and ends up killing both. Khanna's performance as a heartbroken, angry husband who experiences a wide range of emotions, subtly justifying his crime, was well-received by the audience and critics alike.
Amar Akbar Anthony (1977)
Manmohan Desai's Amar Akbar Anthony holds a special place in Khanna's filmography. Despite sharing screen space with his contemporaries Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor, Khanna stood out for his portrayal of a kind-hearted, brave policeman Amar Khanna. Amar Akbar Anthony is a story of three brothers who get separated from their parents and each other in childhood. Khanna plays the role of the eldest brother, who later unites with his two brothers to seek revenge from the villain responsible for his family's misfortune. The film went on to become a blockbuster hit, bagging several awards at the Filmfare Awards, and remains to be a cult classic among many Hindi film lovers.
Qurbani (1980)
Feroz Khan's blockbuster thriller Qurbani was, perhaps, one of the most stylish films of the 1980s. Besides, excellent performances with Zeenat Aman and Feroz Khan bringing the oomph factor to the screen, Khanna contributed a casual flamboyance to his character that only a few actors could boast of at that time. Despite playing a supporting role, Khanna excelled in leaving a mark with his performance.
Dabangg (2010)
While most his contemporaries hung up their boots, Khanna not only remained active in cinema, but also continued to mesmerise audience with his outstanding performances. Juggling a hectic political career and commitments to films, he delivered a memorable performance in Abhinav Kashyap's Dabangg in 2010. Khanna made his way into the young audience's heart by his effortless portrayal of a loving, concerned father who shared a love-hate relationship with his son, played by Salman Khan. Khanna also featured in the sequel Dabangg 2 (2012).
