Rajesh Khanna stands as one of the most accomplished actors in Indian cinema, leaving an enduring impact on Bollywood with his remarkable career. His cinematic journey took an extraordinary turn with the release of Shakti Samanta’s film ‘Aradhana.’ This movie not only had a golden run at the box office but also made history as the first Hindi film to run successfully for more than 100 days.
In the non-Hindi speaking areas of the Northeastern and four South Indian states, ‘Aradhana’ had four shows a day. Remarkably, the film ran for three years in theaters across South India, achieving platinum jubilee status nationwide. According to reports, a staggering 42 million tickets were sold, generating Rs 7 crore at the box office. ‘Aradhana’ was released on September 27, 1969, and featured a stellar cast including Sharmila Tagore, Farida Jalal, and Madan Puri. In this film, Rajesh Khanna played the dual role of a husband (air force pilot Arun) and son (Suraj Prasad Saxena), a portrayal that catapulted him to stardom.
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The music of ‘Aradhana’ struck a chord with the audience, notably the beloved song ‘Mere Sapno Ki Rani.’ Filmed amidst the picturesque mountains of Darjeeling, the song gained immense popularity. Rajesh Khanna’s signature head tilt and hand movements in this track became iconic and resonated well with the audience. The soulful vocals for the song were provided by Kishore Kumar, with Sachin Dev Burman composing the music, adding to the overall success and cultural impact of the film.
In addition to ‘Aradhana,’ Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore enjoyed a successful collaboration in several other hit films, including ‘Amar Prem’ and ‘Aavishkar.’ However, there came a point when Sharmila Tagore decided not to work with Rajesh Khanna. This revelation was made in the audiobook ‘Rajesh Khanna: Ek Tanha Sitara.’ Sharmila Tagore explained that their on-screen pairing was highly popular. Despite their successful collaborations, she grew frustrated with Rajesh Khanna’s chronic lateness. His habit of arriving at noon for a 9 AM shoot shift eventually led her to the decision that it would be better to work with other actors instead.
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