Rajesh Khanna died yesterday

Baboo Moshay: Kuch To Log Kahenge….People wud say something anyway

By Divas

Rajesh Khanna died yesterday. I’m neither shocked nor surprised. Still, it feels like a lil strange. the news of his death brought back many old memories. Rajesh used to be my mom’s favorite hero. When i was a kid, most of the Bollywood lovers were divided into two camps: Amitabh Bachchan and Rajesh Khanna. My mom was Rajesh Khanna’s supporter. In her college days, my mom used to be a Dev Anand fan. But that was before i was born. I did not like Dev Anand in my childhood, he looked like a monkey to me. Perhaps, that’s coz Dev Anand was more popular for his romances, and i didn’t like romances in my childhood.

I was also not in favor of Rajesh Khanna. I was Amitabh Bachhan’s fan, coz in those days i used to love action movies. And Amitabh used to be the favorite Angry Youngman of all Bollywood watchers. However, as i grew up, i began admiring Dev Anand and Rajesh Khanna more…for the characters they played. Coz i began taking interest in romances and character. I hugely enjoyed watching Rajesh Khanna’s Amar Prem, Shahrukh Khan’s Devdaas, and Dev Aanand’s ‘Guide’ a few years ago.

I think Ananda & Amar Prem are perhaps Rajesh Khanna’s finest movies i’ve watched. Anyone who enjoys Bollywood movies, would hardly have missed Rajesh Khanna’s famous dialogue to Sharmila Tagore, “Yeh, Aasoo Puchh Dalo..I hate tears”. So many times I have gotten emotional watching Rajesh Khanna’s characters.  And when some people say that Divas will become a ‘Jogi’ or ‘Sadhu’ some day, i’m reminded of Dev Anand’s one dialogue from Guide: Log Mar Mar Kar Sadhu Bana Dete hai (People thrash you up so hard that you become a Sadhu).

I do not watch movies these days. I do not even recognize today’s Bollywood hero or heroines. When i’d just passed my S.L.C., Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dxit were popular Bollywood stars. Then came Shahrukh Khan. However, i watched some Bollywood movies a few years ago when my former employers went out of business and therefore i was free to watch movies. I enjoyed watching Mughal-e-Azam, Pakiza, Three Idiots, and My Name is Khan. I watched Mughal-e-Azam, Pakiza and Three Idiots many times. I consider Mughal-e-Azam the best Hindi film of all times. I also hugely enjoyed Three Idiots.

Pakiza used to my mom’s favorite film. Once, i followed my mom to the nearby Video Hall where she was watching Pakiza with her friends. But, as a kid nearing his teens, i was so bored with Pakiza that i could not continue watching it and got out of the hall. In those days, i did not like anything except Amitabh Bachchan and his fights. I watched Pakiza once again coz Pakiza’s heroine Mina Kumari used to be not only my mom’s, but even our grandmom’s favorite actor.

Our grandma used to run away from home secretly to watch Mina Kumari’s movies. She was a very loving grandma. After her daughter’s & our mom’s death, our grandma used to be very protective of us. She used to give me all her money that her sons gave her personal expenses. I watched Pakiza also coz i’d started enjoying Mujras. Thus, Bollywood and especially its old actors & singers have their influences in our personal lives as well…for the fond memories they bring back.