Rajesh Khanna, once hailed as the greatest movie star of his era, experienced a tragic fall from grace as his career spiraled into decline. Known for delivering an unprecedented streak of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, Khanna was regarded as a cinematic icon. However, his refusal to adapt when his films started flopping led to a dramatic downturn in his career. This opened the door for Amitabh Bachchan, who emerged as the dominant force in Bollywood for the next several years with his edgier, socially relevant dramas, which starkly contrasted Khanna’s traditional film choices.
In a revealing interview, the late film journalist Ali Peter John shared his experiences of witnessing Khanna’s decline up close. John recalled how Khanna’s career took a nosedive after his marriage to Dimple Kapadia, yet the actor refused to lower his fees or alter his attitude. Khanna’s insecurity towards Bachchan was palpable, as he would often badmouth him to Jaya Bhaduri, who was dating Bachchan at the time.
John recounted an incident that highlighted Khanna’s deep-seated insecurity. Overcome with emotion, Khanna reportedly went to the terrace of his bungalow and “cried bitterly” due to his fears about Bachchan’s rising stardom. He even tried to dissuade Jaya from associating with Bachchan, telling her, “Why are you going out with this man? He is not going to amount to much.”
Despite this animosity, Khanna and Bachchan worked together on the film Bawarchi. However, Khanna’s behavior on set remained hostile, as he would insult and ignore Bachchan. John witnessed Jaya consoling Bachchan after one such incident, telling him, “One day you will see where he will be and where you will be.”
Khanna’s decline continued unabated. Towards the end of his life, he was offered a lucrative deal to appear on the reality show Bigg Boss. Despite being offered Rs 3.5 crore per episode, Khanna initially rejected the offer, considering television beneath him. By the time he reconsidered, the channel had lost interest. Dimple Kapadia, in an interview with India Today, recalled the insecurities that plagued Khanna during this period. She eventually walked out on him in the early 1980s and revived her own career, which she had put on hold after their marriage.
