A small budget film, Aakhri Khat offered me no monetary gains, but as an actor, the role was satisfying. It wasn't a mainstream subject but I was drawn to my role. Producer-director, Chetan Anand contacted me for Aakhri Khat (1966). Both, personally and professionally And in the coming years, we did many more films together.Īfter Raaz, which didn't do well at the box-office, producers were slow in coming with offers. Now, I had no option but to give my version of the story The good thing about the incident was that the misunderstanding brought me closer to Sippy saab. I was summoned to his office where I was grilled and rebuked. On reaching Bombay, this man complained about me to Sippy saab. National politics, of course, came much later. That was my first taste of film politics. Not wanting to inconvenience the shooting, he had at that moment decided to toe the line. It was only on reaching Bombay, did I realise that his friendship was a mere facade. He apologised for his behaviour and as far as I was concerned, all was forgiven and forgotten. In the morning however, the production guy had changed his mind. All the expenses incurred due to my involvement, I'll reimburse it on reaching Bombay " "We'll see tomorrow," he said in a mysterious tone. Ultimately, I said, "if this is how you will behave, I walk out of the film, this minute. I said, "you break a plate and I'll break the table." The argument continued. In frustration, he picked up a plate from the table and threw it on the floor. What I do after pack up, is not your problem, but mine." He wasn't prepared for this. I couldn't get over the way he had yelled at everyone. yeh sab nawabi thaat pehli film mein shobha nahin dete! You have come here to shoot, not to have fun." "Don't you know we have an early morning shoot?" Then looking at me, he said, "Aur aap. He yelled at everyone for sitting down to drink. It was biting cold and just as we were getting ready to raise a toast, in walked the production-controller of the unit. If I could report and get away coming so late for my shooting, I had to be very special star.ĭuring the outdoor shooting of Raaz (1967) at Kulu, one evening, after pack up, I invited a few technicians to my room for a drink. I don't know how prosperous I am but I was quite certainly amongst the most privileged of all actors then. May God give you such prosperity too."Ī prayer was organised before the start of his film carrer. "Rajesh Khanna sounds nice," the uncle said. Jatin on the other hand was too short and too familiar "It isn't impressive," said my uncle, so we dropped that name too. Jeetendra, my original name wasn't good enough, for there was already one actor by the above name and there were bound to be confusions.
Times change and even though inside you, you are the same person, outside, a lot of things transform.įor someone who was used to being referred to as 'Koko' at home, I was learning to adjust to the sound of a new name. Now I could never stand on the road and enjoy my pani puri or chaat like old times. So what if I am Rajesh Khanna? In fact, I soon realised that being Rajesh Khanna had more deprivations than advantages. Unconsciously, I am sure it has happened several times. The greater the man, the more humble he should remain."Ĭonsciously, I have never been rude or uncooperative with anyone. Besides, I never forget a golden line my father often repeated and which has over the years become my favourite line as well -"the more fruits, a tree bears, the more it bends.
I am wise enough not to let my ego spoil my performance. My late arrival was made into an ego problem, when it wasn't. I came on the sets with my homework done. A good actor ought to do his homework at home and not on the sets. I like to settle down slowly I take this time to prepare the actor within me. What can I do if I cannot mentally tune my body to get ready early? I was slow. It isn't as if I am sitting at home, enjoying troubling the producer or maybe they thought that I was probably drinking till late night and so found it difficult to wake up. What they didn't understand and what nobody understands even today is that I don't arrive late for shootings on purpose. And they were not completely unjustified to think so. My life-style cannot change for my career " I am sure the unit found me swollen headed. In my usual, arrogant tone, I said, "in which case, to hell with the career and to hell with this film. Somebody even taunted, "if this is the way he is going to behave, he ought to pack up before he begins." I should have felt frightened by their reactions. Everyone was waiting and everyone was visibly angry. By the time I reached the studio, it was 11 a.m. On the first day of shooting, I reported three hours late.