Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan and Anand

 

Time ho gaya.......pack up!!...... This was the last word legendary Rajesh Khanna said to Amitabh Bachchan in his blog. 

I was never part of the Rajesh Khanna era but have grown up watching his movies on television and reading about him in print media. No doubt his "Anand" is one of my favourite movies. With a simple story, hummable songs, and great acting, Anand was a classic from Hrishi da. The greatest about Anand to me is, without hesitation, the two songs by my singing idol Mukesh. Both the songs 'Kahi door jab din dhal jaye' and 'Maine tere liye hee saat rang kay' are gems for any Mukesh lover. 

And who can forget this evergreen line penned by Gulzar…

 

 Zindagi aur maut upar wale ke haath main hain jahapanah,

use na aap badal sakte hain na main,
Hum sab toh rang-manch kee katputliya hain,
jinki dor uparwale ki ungliyon mein bandhi hain
Kab kaun kaise uthega, koi nahi bata sakta
ha ha ha…

 

Just in the evening, I was watching the news on Aaj Tak, where an anecdote was told about the song ' Kahi door jab din dhaal jaye' as told by Amitabh Bachchan. The anecdote said that it was the only visual song that Amitabh Bachchan could manage from Hrishi da when people around him used to ask him about his experience working with Rajesh Khanna in the movie 'Anand'. Rajesh Khanna was a superstar when Amitabh Bachchan, a few movies old, was selected to play the second lead in the movie. To some extent, ‘Anand’ was a movie that made Amitabh Bachchan noticed for the first time. 

In the climax Amitabh Bachchan playing Dr. Bahaskar finds it hard to overcome the death of Anand, it was this particular scene that Amitabh found difficult to enact said the news anchor and it was Mehmood, the late comedian to whom the great actor had sought help. Amitabh had said that he found it very difficult to see the superstar dying. In real life, when Amitabh Bachchan went to Rajesh Khanna's house after hearing the late actor's death, it was said that he had touched the feet of the late actor when teardrops fell from his eyes. I see the Anand scene repeating here.  

What I like the most about ‘Anand’ is the positive approach of a character who knows that he will not live for long, and yet, in his limited time period, he lives his life to its fullest. Rajesh Khanna is at his best as a cancer patient who never stops smiling. It was this movie that showed that Rajesh Khanna, known more for his romantic image, gave a lifetime performance and showed that romance with his own life can also be more beautiful. 

What a series of great acting teams Anand had…… Besides Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan, the rest of the team included Lalita Pawar, Ramesh and Seema Deo, Sumita Sanyal, Dara Singh, Johny Walker, and others. ‘Anand’ went on to win 6 Filmfare Awards for the year 1972, including Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor for Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan.