Two weeks back, a picture of Vinod Khanna with his family cropped up on the social media platforms. Dressed in a blue hospital gown, Khanna looked weak and old. For many, it was disheartening to see a frail Khanna, who was once the most handsome actor of his time. It soon became a trending topic as get well wishes poured. Even when many criticised the idea of sharing such a picture, the wishes coming from all quarters was an indication of the following he had.
The actor-turned-politician breathed his last in Mumbai on Thursday. He was 70 and was admitted to the HN Reliance Foundation And Research Centre in Girgaon on March 31 with complications arising out of severe dehydration. An official statement from the hospital said Khanna was suffering from bladder cancer.
Khanna, during his time in the films, gave a tough competition to then superstar Amitabh Bachchan. In fact, it was said that in films starring both Khanna and Bachchan, Khanna drew more money, at least in the mid 70s.
Known for his good looks and macho physique, Khanna made his debut in 1968 with Mann Ka Meet. He was an antagonist while Sunil Dutt played the lead. For almost the next two years, Khanna kept doing negative and supporting roles in films like Purab Aur Paschim (1970) and Mera Gaon Mera Desh (1971), Sacha Jhootha (1970), and Mastana (1970) before bagging a lead role in Hum Tum Aur Woh opposite Aruna Irani and directed by Shiv Kumar.
The same year, Khanna also starred in Mere Apne, helmed by Gulzar and also starring Shatrughan Sinha. With a fairly good performance at the box-office, the film catapulted the actor’s careers. Khanna then starred in many films and gave many memorable performances. 1973 film Gaddaar with Yogita Bali was one of the most successful films. The success was repeated in films like Taaqat with Rakhee and Parveen Babi, Jail Yatra opposite Reena Roy, Daulat with Zeenat Aman, The Burning Train with Parveen Babi, besides Aap Ki Khatir with Rekha, Main Tulsi Tere Angan Ki among others. The 1980 film Qurbani by Feroze Khan (supposed to be an adaptation of the Italian film The Master Touch) that saw Khanna along with Khan was one of the highest earners of the year.
After these successes, which also included the very popular Amar Akbar Anthony, Hera Pheri and Muqqadar Ka Sikander, Khanna leaned towards the controversial spiritual guru Osho. This was fodder for the tabloids of then. But after a five-year hiatus, he returned with Insaaf (1987) and then had a big release in Chandni as a second lead. He continued working through the 90s till date, but the impact was a little lost. In the last couple of years, he had played the patriarch in Salman Khan's Wanted and Dabangg. Rohit Shetty’s Dilwale was the last movie that released. Khanna also starred in Ek Thi Rani Aisi Bhi, the biopic of Vijaya Raje Scindia. The film that was completed in 2010 has been stuck because of lack of funds and a few other things.
Khanna was also actively involved in politics. He was the sitting MP from Gurdaspur in Punjab, a seat he won several times on a BJP ticket. He also served as the Union minister for culture and tourism and minister of state for external affairs.
He is survived by his wife, Kavita Khanna, and four children—Rahul, Akshaye, Sakshi, and Shraddha. Rahul and Akshaye, both actors, were from his first wife, Geetanjali.
Khanna's contemporary Shatrughan Sinha described his death as a personal loss. "Vinod Khanna was a greatly admired personality. It's a personal and emotional loss for me as we have been very close and journeyed together in films as well as in politics," Sinha who worked with Khanna in hits like Mere Apne, Bombay 405 and Do Yaar, said.
Celebrities, young and old, remembered him as one of the most charismatic personalities of the Hindi film world.
Veteran singer Asha Bhosle remembered him as "a decent man and a star till the very end." Rishi Kapoor, who played Khanna's younger brother in Amar Akbar Anthony and worked with him in another memorable hit Chandni, tweeted, "Will miss you Amar. RIP. Remembering the good times with you, Vinod. Thank you for being my friend."
Superstar Rajinikanth said, "My dear friend Vinod Khanna... Will miss you, RIP. My heartfelt condolences to the family." Filmmaker Karan Johar said, "His screen presence is unparallelled even today... his super star swag is what we grew up on....RIP VinodKhanna ...thoughts and prayers." Actor Akshay Kumar said Khanna's passing was the end of an era. "Sad to learn about the passing away of Vinod Khanna Sir, one of the most charismatic actors...truly end of an era."
