RAJESH KHANNA- PUNJABI SUPERSTAR

Rajesh Khanna  pronunciation (help·info); (born Jatin Khanna; 29 December 1942 – 18 July 2012) was an Indian actor in Hindi films, and was also a film producer and a politician. He was called as the first superstar of the Indian cinema.^[1]. He appeared in 163 feature films of which 128 films saw him as the lead protagonist; he appeared in 17 short films as well.^[2][3][4] He won three Filmfare Best Actor Awards and was nominated for the same fourteen times. He received the most BFJA Awards for Best Actor (Hindi) – four times^[5] and nominated 25 times. In 1991, he was awarded theFilmfare Special Award for completing 25 years in the industry, appearing in a record 106 films as the single lead protagonist in a span of 25 years. In 2005, he was awarded the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award. Khanna was referred to^{[by whom?]} as the "First Superstar" of Hindi cinema.^{[6][7][8][9][10]} He made his debut in 1966 with Aakhri Khat and rose to prominence with his performances in films like Raaz, Baharon Ke Sapne, Ittefaq and Aradhana. He gave 35 Golden Jubilee Hits in the period 1966-1975, three more in 76-78 and 35 more in the period 1979-1991 and gave 22 silver jubilee hits in the period 1966-1991.^[11] He was known as one of the first casanovas in Indian cinema.^[12]

Rajesh Khanna died after prolong illness on 18 July, 2012.

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Khanna was an adorable person. Khanna was adopted and raised by foster parents who were relatives of his biological parents. Khanna lived in Thakurdwar near Girgaon, Mumbai and attended St. Sebastian’s Goan High School there, along with his friend Ravi Kapoor, who later took the stage name Jeetendra, and whose mothers were friends.^[14] Khanna gradually started taking interest in theatre and did a lot of stage and theater plays in his school^[15] and college days and won many prizes in the inter college drama competitions.^[16] Khanna became a rare newcomer who struggled in his own MG sports car to get work in theatre and films in the early sixties.^[17] Both friends later studied in Kishinchand Chellaram College(KC College), Bombay (now Mumbai).^[18] When Jeetendra went for his first film audition, it was Khanna who tutored. Khanna's uncle changed Khanna's first name to Rajesh when Khanna decided to join films. His friends and his wife called him Kaka (Uncle).

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[edit]Political and business career

Rajesh Khanna was a member of Parliament for the Indian National Congress, from the New Delhi constituency, where he won the 1992 by-election, retaining his seat until the 1996 election.^[102]When Khanna was MP, he did not accept new acting assignements.^[103] After leaving parliament, he was a political activist for the INC and campaigned for the party during the 2012 Punjab election.^[104]

Khanna and a group of foreign investors bought land in Shirdi on which they planned to build a religious resort for disciples of Sai Baba .

Reactions

Following his death, Sumadhwa felt very sad; there was a quick spate of reactions from within the Bollywood fraternity. Hema Malini said that "we always thought he would come back [from the hospital]. We are in shock right now." His son-in-law Akshay Kumar told reporters about his death and added that "he has gone to a nice and heavenly place. I am happy that he has gone there and hope that everyone will pray for him." Others celebrities who paid homage to him at his house included Rishi Kapoor, Prem Chopra and Sajid Khan.^[117] Shah Rukh Khan reacted on Twitterin writing: "To live with intention and walk to the edge. Play with abandon, choose with no regret. Smile and made us do the same. Sir, you defined our era. Whenever life felt tough u made us feel how love could change it all. RIP." Mumtaz also added that she had memories of having working with him; while Shahid Kapoor also wrote on Twitter: "RIP to the 1st king of romance...Rajesh Khanna." Subhash Ghai added that Khanna "was the powerhouse of Hindi film industry. I met him on the sets of aaradhna, he had some kind of energy and you will be charged when he is around you. His name will be written in golden words." Madhuri Dixit wrote on Twitter that "as another of Hindi cinema's giants passes, Rajesh Khanna. Our sincere condolences to his family. We will miss him dearly." Vyjayanthimala commented that "his death is a big loss to the industry. It's my bad luck that I didn't have the chance to work with him because he came much later. I remember when he came to Chennai for some film shoot the college girls went crazy to catch a glimpse of him when he was going to his studio."^[122] Manna Dey said: "He was a great actor, truly a superstar no doubt about it. I am honoured to have done playback for him. I have worked for him in several movies and actors like him are a rarity."^[123] Mrinal Sen recollected how Khanna had wanted to cast him in one of his films, but the latter could not manage due to date problems. "We had met several times. Once I had wanted to cast him in one of my films but somehow that didn't work out due to his date problems." Buddhadeb Dasgupta said Khanna's acting would continue to inspire young actors in future. "He was a great actor and was the first superstar. He was a much bigger star than Amitabh Bachchan. He was a craze when we were in school and college. His acting will continue to inspire young actors of the coming generations."^[124] Rituparno Ghoshsaid: "In the film Anand, Khanna delivered some of Indian cinema's most memorable dialogue. The use of the word babu moshai for Amitabh Bachchan, who played a Bengali doctor in the film, is so deeply etched in the minds of Indians that it has almost become a synonym for Bengalis for the rest of the countrymen. In a dhoti and kurta, you showed the rest of India how truly elegant Bengal was." Film historian S. M. M. Ausaja added: "He never acted in a Bengali cinema. But right from the late 1960s to the 70s he was the top star and worked with the top directors of his era, most of whom were Bengalis."^[125]

Additionally, those within the political spectrum that offered their condolences included Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who said that he "convey[s] my heartfelt condolences to the members of the bereaved family and countless fans and admirers of Shri Rajesh Khanna." INC President Sonia Gandhi also expressed her sorrow. Regional political leaders who offered their condolences included Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee who said, "Rajesh Khanna was always a symbol of romance. His smiling face and the ability to connect with people at ease had made him popular. We lost a big pole star in the film world today", as well as Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who added that "his death has caused irreparable loss to Hindi cinema."^[117]

Condolences also came from Pakistan where Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf called Khanna a "great actor whose contribution to the field of films and arts would be long remembered. (He had a) large fan following across the borders and captivated audiences with his excellent acting skills." Ali Zafar wrote on Twitter, "Rajesh Khanna - RIP. So many fond memories from his movies and songs," while Syed Noor said, "Rajesh Khanna was such a huge actor of the subcontinent that he will be remembered by the people for many years to come. The era he reigned over is unlikely to be experienced by any other actor of this subcontinent." Geo TV also aired a nearly hour-long tribute with contributions from actors, filmmakers and musicians.

WELCOME

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NRI BUSINESSMAN SURENDER SINGH KANDHARI

Dubai's grand gurdwara brings religion, tradition alive in style

 Ornate 24-carat gold canopies for the Guru Granth Sahib religious text of Sikhism, Italian marble on the walls and floor, stunning chandeliers and a five-star kitchen - Dubai's first gurdwara is a grand realisation of the aspirations of 50,000 Sikhs in the UAE.

Gurunanak Darbar is a heady mix of spirituality, tradition, modernity, opulence and the determination of a man.

On entering the building, one is in awe of its sheer grandeur and the attention to detail. A sense of calm descends as strains of "Tu Prabh Daata," a popular 'kirtan' or devotional chants, fill the air.

As the ambience sinks in, NRI businessman Surender Singh Kandhari, the man behind the Sikh temple, walks in, urging devotees to use the lift instead of taking the stairs to the main prayer hall.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, who donated a piece of land in the Jebel Ali area for the gurdwara about six years ago, wanted it to be iconic. The opulent building is worth every bit of the 65 million Dirhams spent on it - a large part of it contributed by Kandhari himself.

"We didn't want to compromise on anything. It has the latest Italian marble and best lights. I told the contractor I want a 100-year guarantee for the building so that our future generations are able to utilise it," Kandhari told IANS in an interview.

"I told the ruler, 'Well, one can't surpass the Golden Temple.' But what we have is the most modern gurdwara in the world," said Kandhari, chairman of the Al Dobowi Group that manufactures and distributes automotive batteries and tyres.

The idea of the building was born 11 years ago with the growing need of a proper place of worship for the Sikhs, who until January this year shared space in the cramped temple premises in Bur Dubai.

The permission came through six years ago when the ruler of Dubai gave 25,400 sq feet of land to build the temple, said Kandhari.

On the grand opening of the gurdwara January 17, Kandhari compared Sheikh Mohammed, also the vice president of the UAE, to Muslim saint Hazrat Mian Mir, who had laid the foundation stone of the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the holiest shrine for Sikhs.

Six months on, as many as 10,000 people visit the temple with three floors of parking space on Fridays.

"On Baisakhi, we served food to around 40,000 people visiting the gurdwara," Kandhari said proudly, adding that several Pakistani Sikhs also come to offer prayers besides many Sindhis and Hindu Punjabis.

The state-of-the-art kitchen, which churns out food for devotees through the day every day, is worth a peek. It is complete with a dough-kneader, a chappati-maker and large dishwashers. And along with the rest of the building, the kitchen too is spotless.

Apart from a large carpeted prayer hall, there are three smaller rooms for private functions, a meditation room, a library and the spacious 'langar' or common kitchen hall.

Gurunanak Darbar is modelled on both the Golden Temple and the gurdwara in Southall, London. Interior designer Paul Bishop was sent to both these shrines "to get the feel" of gurdwaras.

To develop religious values among the next generation of NRIs, special three-hour sessions are held for children on Saturdays at the temple where they are taught Punjabi, 'Kirtans' and how to behave in places of worship.

"There are already 55 children attending these classes. All four of my grandchildren, one of them just two years old, go there," he said.

"The women are keen on sending their children to learn kirtans. When you are out of India, your desire to connect to your roots becomes stronger," he said.

Having grown up in Andhra Pradesh and later studying in Chennai's Loyola College, Kandhari admitted that he learned about his language and religion when he came to Dubai in 1976.

Thus, he understands the need for children to know about their culture in a foreign land.

"They can't learn without getting proper lessons. In Vijayawada, I had no one to teach me Punjabi. While in Loyola College in Madras, I used to go to church every Sunday. I started learning about Sikhism and Punjabi after coming to Dubai."

Although the NRI businessman had to borrow from friends to complete the gurdwara, he calls the income generated by it as "unbelievable".

He already has plans to use the money. "I want to build a hospital for the poor. Healthcare is so expensive in Dubai... Labourers living in camps nearby can't afford the high medical costs."

Kandhari says the gurdwara now attracts visitors from across the world.

"We have visitors from the UK, the US, France and Canada... They get surprised that in an Islamic country, we have the most modern gurdwara."