Rajesh Khanna (Veteran Bollywood Actor): Bio, Age, Height, Wife, Children, Career, Net Worth, Legacy, Controversies, & More

Rajesh Khanna, who was famously called “Kaka” and referred to as the First Superstar of Bollywood, is one of the most legendary names available in the Indian film industry. For more than 3 decades, famous for his charm, intense acting, and great screen presence, Khanna ruled the millions. He was the epitome of stardom and had an unprecedented rise to fame during the late 1960s and early 1970s. His films, such as Aradhana (1969) and Kati Patang (1970), further ensured his place as the first among stars of Indian cinema. This blog discusses Rajesh Khanna age when he passed away, his legacy, net worth, family, and many more.

Rajesh Khanna Biography

He was an unforgettable legend who changed the face the Bollywood in the 1960s and 70s. The influence that Rajesh Khanna had in Indian cinema is still felt today.

Rajesh Khanna Age, Height & Physical Apperance

Born on 29 December 1942, Rajesh Khanna age was 69 years as of 28 July 2012, when he passed away. His birth sign was Capricorn. With a height of 5ft 8 inches, he weighed around 85 Kg at the time of his death. He had Black eyes and due to ageing his black hair turned to greyish white. Rajesh had a chrming personality and a cult fan base in his prime time. People knew him well for his great looks, tall stature, and magical screen presence. In spite of his fame and fortune, he was down-to-earth and popular both on and off screen.

Early Life and Family Background

Jatin Khanna, popularly known as Rajesh Khanna, was born into a humble family. His father’s relative, Chunnilal Khanna, who was rich, adopted him and played the major role in his upbringing. His parents were Chandrani Khanna (homemaker) and Lala Hiranand (headmaster, K. P. V. High School in Rahkuwa). In his early years, he also had the support of his adoptive mother, Leelawati Khanna. Rajesh did not have any brothers; he had one sister, Kamla.

Rajesh’s life was not easy in the fields of education and profession. Despite his family’s reluctance for him to become an actor, he won a talent contest conducted by Filmfare and went on to become a star in Bollywood. Growing up in Mumbai was tough for him as he had to juggle between his studies and his brilliant flair for acting. Nevertheless, it saw him act in Aakhri Khat in 1966, with which his career abroad commenced.

Educational Qualifications

Early in his early years, Rajesh Khanna attended various schools and colleges. At present, he is a graduate of St. Sebastian’s Gaon High School, Mumbai, and the Nowrosjee Wadia College, Pune and K.C. College, Mumbai, respectively. He had his Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree.

Rajesh Khanna Wife (Personal Life)

Rajesh Khanna was got married to actress Dimple Kapadia in the year 1973 in March. She was just 16 years old and he a budding superstar. Then, the couple was blessed with two daughters. One is Twikle Khanna and second is Rinki Khanna. Despite their early wedding, their marriage faced different kinds of challenges. This was mainly because of Rajesh Khanna’s decling stardom in the late 70s and 80s. And, this definately affect their relationship. Then, the couple decide to separate with each other in 1982, but they never got an official di nvorce. Dimple later describing the marriage as “traumatic” due to their differences and her young age at marriage

Professional Career

The first film in his acting career was Aakhri Khat (1966), India’s selection for the Oscars that year. The film was not a box office hit, despite Rajesh getting his initial recognition to continue his career in the entertainment industry.

Beginning

His role as the romantic hero of Aradhana (1969) took off, and it became a huge hit. It is what began his rise to superstardom. After the success of Dil Diya Dard Liya (1966), he went on to make several hit films in the early 1970s, such as Kati Patang (1970), Haathi Mere Saathi (1971), and Amar Akbar Anthony (1977,) and became the first choice of the leading actor of Bollywood.

Peak of Stardom

From the late 1960s to the early 1980s, Rajesh Khanna ruled tills of the box office, hitting back-to-back. A romantic person and a partner of Hindustani music money hound composers and playback singing, primarily Kishore Kumar, was accompanied in his numbers of the most popular songs song numbers. His films with Mumtaz and Sharmila Tagore were a big hit.

However, audiences and especially women liked him because of his charm and on-screen charisma, and his dialogue delivery and style made him a favorite among the audience. Bollywood romance was embodied by his ‘Kaka’ persona, a travesty of the name he was known by.

Career Decline and Political Involvement:

Keen to avoid this fate, Rajesh Khanna began his career in the mid-1980s, when the industry began to adopt new tastes, with new stars Amitabh Bachchan replacing his limelight in the limelight. But Bappanath did not allow Rajesh Khanna to go away from public life. He diversified his career by turning to politics, and in 1984, he fought on behalf of the Indian National Congress (INC) and won the election from the New Delhi constituency. Although his political career wasn’t long, he was an MP for five years.

Comeback and Later Career:

A comeback of sorts Rajesh Khanna made in films of the 1990s, but no success of their works did like his previous films. By then, his star power had waned, and audiences saw him in only a few movies such as Baaghi (1990) and Wafaa (2008). However, his fans still loved him, and Bollywood continued to admire his legacy in the industry.

Personal Struggles and Final Years:

During the later part of his life, Rajesh Khanna had health issues of his health including cancer. On July 28, 2012, he died at the age of 69. It was a huge loss to Indian cinema with his death, and the nation mourned the loss of its beloved superstar.

Rajesh Khanna Movies

Interesting Facts About Rajesh Khanna

• First Indian Superstar: Film critics first presented Rajesh Khanna with the title of Superstar, a title they have not given to anyone else since.
• Female Fan Following: In fact, he had a huge female fan following, and even a lot of fans would send him blood-written love letters.
• Iconic Styling: Rajesh Khanna was famous for his style, his slow smile, his deep voice, all of which summed up in his signature on the screen.
• Towards Politics: He joined politics in the 1980s and the Indian National Congress elected him as a Member of Parliament..

Controversy

Anita Advani created a legal dispute with Rajesh Khanna’s family, which gained intense media attention after his demise. Advani filed a court case against his family to obtain payment after professing that she shared a live-in relationship with Khanna. Many people doubted this claim, and the resulting media coverage made the case a well-known controversy.

Social Media Presence

During his lifetime, Rajesh Khanna did not use social media because Twitter along Instagram emerged after his time. Social media platforms maintain active fan clubs and numerous legacy pages for him, which now reach millions of followers through their pages.

Rajesh Khanna Net Worth

As of the time of his death in 2012, Rajesh Khanna net worth was estimated to be around ₹150 crore (USD 30 million). People considered him one of the richest Indians after his successful film career, endorsements, and real estate investments.

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