Veteran actor says Rajesh Khanna was 'arrogant' but 'generous'
What's the story
Veteran actor Tej Sapru recently opened up about a surprising incident involving Bollywood legend Rajesh Khanna. Speaking on The Rediff Podcast, he recalled how the superstar once abused him on a film set in Kashmir. Despite this, Sapru emphasized that Khanna later apologized and made amends. "Rajesh Khanna had arrogance. It happens when you're at the peak of your career. But at the same time, I have never seen a more generous man than him," he said.
Incident
Khanna abused Sapru without any reason
Sapru, who has worked in over 300 films in a career spanning over four decades, said the incident left him deeply hurt.
"There was an incident when we were working together. I suddenly heard someone abusing me from behind. I turned around and saw that it was Kaka ji (Khanna)," he said.
"Even after giving him so much respect, I don't know what happened that he abused me from behind."
Resolution
Khanna later apologized to Sapru
The next day, Sapru didn't greet Khanna. However, after a scene was shot, Khanna approached him.
"He came up to me and said, 'Hey, tall boy...forget it.' I replied, 'Sir, you abused me without any reason. You were the one who had told me we were just having fun,'" Sapru recounted.
"He said, 'It happened. Forget it. Come.' Then he asked me to come to his hotel with him."
Reconciliation
They ended up having a great time together
Despite staying at a different hotel, Sapru accepted Khanna's invitation after finishing the day's shoot.
"From there, he took me along, and we spent the whole night eating and drinking together. He realized that what he had said was wrong," Sapru said.
He added that the incident never affected their relationship and he continued to visit Khanna regularly during his career slowdown.
Career reflection
Sapru compares Dharmendra, Jeetendra, and Khanna
Reflecting on Khanna's career, Sapru suggested that the actor's arrogance may have contributed to his decline.
He compared the superstar with contemporaries Dharmendra and Jeetendra, saying their different attitudes toward stardom might have affected their career paths.
"I think his downfall came earlier because of that arrogance, especially when compared to Dharamji (Dharmendra) and Jeetuji (Jeetendra). That's how I felt."
Career trajectory
On how stardom affected Khanna
Khanna, who ruled the box office with 15 consecutive solo blockbusters between 1969 and 1972, saw an unprecedented decline in his career in the late 1970s.
Despite this, Sapru maintained that no one else has had the kind of stardom Khanna enjoyed.
"But as a star, I have never seen anyone with the kind of following he had."
Khanna passed away in 2012.