Rajesh
Khanna, the person, may have died. But Rajesh Khanna, the Actor, will live
forever in our hearts. I fail to understand why we have to tarnish an actor’s
achievements by talking about his prsonal failures. Who does not have any
weakness? An actor is also a human.
Besides
being a style icon of his time, Rajesh Khanna touched millions of hearts
through his glittering body of work. In Anand, he taught us how to face death
with a smile. In Bawarchi, he persuaded us to treasure small pleasures of
everyday life. In Aavishkar, he fathomed the root cause of discontent in
married life. In Dushman, he showed a way forward for a hard-core criminal. In
Aaradhana, he transformed love into a divine worship. In Amar Prem, he
challenged social taboos. In Namakharam, he juxtaposed friendship with duty.
The list is long. But the fact remains that he entertained us in the most
meaningful ways.
We
should remember him only through his touching screen roles, just as we remember
Shakespeare through his writings, Picasso through his paintings and Mozart
through his music. This alone would stand the test of time.
