RIP Rajesh Khanna

The rainy season just ended and there was bright sunshine.The morning session of the college over we were having boiled rice with “Southekai Huli” at Kalu Bhatta’s Shivaprasad Hotel.This was for lesser mortals and students from well to do background used to have food at more expensive ‘Mithra Samaja’.The year was 1970 and we were studying for our degree course at the august MGM College of Udupi. On that day our plan was to bunk the afternoon classes and go for a movie at the historic Kalpana cinema.There was mad rush and with difficulty we could get the ticket.After advertisements for Clogate,Hamam,Sunlight and Kasturi soaps were over a news reel showing Mrs.Indira Gandhi welcoming Alexis Kosigin was also shown.Then started the picture and the super hero the heartthrob of all beautiful girls of not just MGM College but the entire country, Rajesh Khanna arrived.He donned the role of an Air Force pilot and was courting the charming Sharmila Tagore.Suddenly he was called to war and Sharmila bade him farewell with tears in her eyes.Needless to say many in the audience also wiped their eyes.When his plane was lost we waited with bated breath for news of him.Finally the devastating news of his death in arrived and all in the audience were shell shocked.Such was the quality of acting.Many of my generation by this time would guessed which film I am talking about.It was Shakthi Samanths’s ‘Aradhana’.His re-entry as his son in the later part of the film was no consolation.

Generally I watch a little TV while having lunch,mainly news channels on rare occasions when any of them telecast news in the midst of advertisements.Yesterday an English news channel broke the sad news of Rajesh Khanna’s death.I could not relish my lunch and had a lump in my throat.