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The enigmatic actor churned out hit after hits in his heydays. His persona and charisma propelled him to become the first ever super star of Indian movies. Delivering 15 back to back hit films was nothing less than magical. It was the time when Bollywood believed that all it needed for a movie to be a hit, was his presence.
As we walk down the memory lane with Kaka, colorful glimpses from many films of the yester years crowd the mind. Great performances, enchanting stories, charisma and ever green melodious songs still haunt the mind. It is a tough task to point out the top ten of Kaka as the competition is simply too fierce. However, here goes our personal list of ten best movies from the legend called Rajesh Khanna.
Anand:It is a movie hailed by both the critics and fans alike. The movie enjoys a cult status among the Hindi movie buffs. Rajesh Khanna plays the role of a terminally ill person who lives the life to the fullest. The movie was a battle of acting pros between Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan. Kaka won the battle hands down with his style. Who can forget ‘Babumoshai’ in the lips of Rajesh Khanna. The hrishikes Mukherjee directed film released in 1971 and went on to become a mega hit at the box office.
Amar Prem:This classic was directed by Shakti Samanta and released in the year 1972. The story was based on the novel ‘Nishipadma’ by eminent Bengali writer Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay. Sharmila Tagore played his love interest in the film. ‘Chingaari Koi Bhadke’ is an unforgettable song from ‘Amar Prem’. It was composed by Ananad Bkshi and sung by Kishore Kumar.
Bawarchi:The 1972 movie ‘Bawarchi’ was directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee and is one of the memorable movies of Rajesh Khanna. He plays the role of a cook named Raghu who is hired in a household. The story is all about how Raghu wins the hearts of all in the family and brings back laughter. The twist in the tale is an interesting aspect of the story. Jaya Bhaduri worked with him in the film.
Namak Haraam:The movie released in the year 1973. Hrishikesh Mukherjee directed the film. It tells the story of trade unionism and the hardships of labor class. Rajesh Khanna plays the role of Somu, a poor slum dweller while Amitabh Bachchan plays the role of rich and affluent industrialist’s son, Vicky. The songs such as 'Nadiya se dariya', 'Diye Jalte Hai' and 'Main Shayar Badnaam' in the lips of Rajesh Khanna are melodies that are still immensely popular. The songs are sung by none other than the great Kishore Kumar himself.
Haathi Mere Saathi:One of the most fun filled movies of Rajesh Khanna, this was specially a super hit with the children. It had the biggest collection from box office in the year 1971. The M A Thirumugham directed movie is also one of the biggest hits in Rajesh Khanna’s illustrious career.
Aradhana:Shakti Samanta directed the movie and it released in 1969. Sharmila Tagore was the lead actress in the movie. It was given the best film of year title by Filmfare Awards. The movie marked the rise of Rajesh Khanna. Dialouges and scenes from the movie have already found their places in the pages of Bollywood folklore. Mere Sapno Ki Rani and Roop Tera Mastana are songs from the film that lives on even today.
Ittefaq:This Yash Chopra directed film released in the year 1969. Rajesh Khanna plays the role of a painter who is accussed of killing his wife. He breaks out from a mental asylum and seeks refuge in a woman’s house. The entire story takes place in the backdrop of a stormy night. This was one of the earlier movies in the career of Rajesh Khanna. His acting in the film was highly praised by the critics.
Kati Patang:The movie was a blockbuster of the year 1970. It tells the story of a runaway bride who promised her dying friend that she will take up her identity and look after the infant child. What follows is an intriguing plot with lots of humor, suspense and romance. The heroine of the film was Asha Parekh.
Avishkaar:The movie ‘Avishkaar’ was directed by Basu Bhattacharya and released in theatres in the year 1974. The movie successfully depicted the story of a married disgruntled couple that was once madly in love with each other. The chemistry between the lead pair of Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore was excellent. It helped the movie to become a major box office success.
Avtaar:This 1983 movie was a big hit even with its unusual plot theme. Rajesh Khanna plays an aged man in the movie who is neglected by his children and eventually thrown out of the house. The movie tells the story of his fight against the injustice and how he wins in the end.