Vinod Khanna | |
|---|---|
 Khanna in 2012 | |
| Union Minister of State for Culture & Tourism | |
| In office 1 July 2002 – 29 January 2003 | |
| Minister | Jagmohan |
| Preceded by | Omak Apang |
| Succeeded by | Bhavna Chikhalia |
| Union Minister of State for External Affairs | |
| In office 29 January 2003 – 22 May 2004 | |
| Minister | Yashwant Sinha |
| Preceded by | Digvijay Singh |
| Succeeded by | E. Ahamed |
| Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha | |
| In office 16 May 2014 – 27 April 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Pratap Singh Bajwa |
| Succeeded by | Sunil Jakhar |
| Constituency | Gurdaspur, Punjab |
| In office 3 March 1998 – 16 May 2009 | |
| Preceded by | Sukhbuns Kaur |
| Succeeded by | Pratap Singh Bajwa |
| Constituency | Gurdaspur, Punjab |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1946-10-06)6 October 1946 |
| Died | 27 April 2017(2017-04-27) (aged 70) Mumbai,Maharashtra, India |
| Party | Bharatiya Janata Party |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 4 (includingAkshaye andRahul) |
| Relatives | A. F. S. Talyarkhan (father-in-law) Akhil Kapur (nephew) |
| Alma mater | Sydenham College, Mumbai |
| Occupation | |
| Awards | Dadasaheb Phalke Award (2017) |
| Years active | 1966–2016 |
| Works | Full list |
Vinod Khanna (6 October 1946 – 27 April 2017) was anIndian actor, film producer, and politician known for his work inHindi cinema.[1] Recognised as a style and fashion icon, he was often referred to as the "Sexy Sanyasi" in the media, as well asex symbol.[2] He is widely regarded as one of the greatest stars in Indian cinema history.[3] In 2018, Khanna was posthumously honoured with theDadasaheb Phalke Award,[4] India's highest cinematic award, at the65th National Film Awards. Beyond his film career, Khanna was also a spiritual seeker[5]
Khanna made his film debut in 1968 and initially appeared in supporting and antagonistic roles. He portrayed an angry young man in the social dramaMere Apne (1971),[6] the main antagonist in the action dramaMera Gaon Mera Desh (1971),[7][8] and a military officer turned fugitive in the crime dramaAchanak (1973).[9][10] Khanna emerged as a pivotal figure in 1970s Indian cinema, establishing himself as a leading action hero and box-office magnet who rivaledAmitabh Bachchan's dominance.[11] From 1973 to 1982, he led in numerous hits, often as the highest-paid actor, starred in several blockbusters that bolstered themasala film's popularity.[12]
In 1982, at the peak of his career, Khanna took a five-year hiatus from films to follow his spiritual guru,Osho Rajneesh.[5] Khanna was a notable political figure since late 1990s, serving as aMember of Parliament from theGurdaspur constituency between 1998–2009 and 2014–2017.[13] He held ministerial positions in the Government of India, including Minister for Culture and Tourism andMinister of State forExternal Affairs under Prime MinisterAtal Bihari Vajpayee.[14]He returned to the film industry in 1987 with the filmInsaaf and continued to gain success with films such asDayavan (1988),Chandni (1989) andMuqaddar Ka Badshaah (1990).[15] In his later career, he gained acclaim for his portrayals of fatherly figures in blockbuster films such asWanted (2009),Dabangg (2010), andDabangg 2 (2012).[16]
Khanna was born in aPunjabiHindu family of theKhatri community to Kamla and Krishanchand Khanna on 6 October 1946, inPeshawar,British India (now inPakistan).[17] His father was a businessman dealing in textiles, dyes and chemicals while his mother was a housewife.[18] He had three sisters and one brother,Pramod Khanna, who reprised his role forDabangg 3 (2019), as he had died before its release. Shortly after his birth, India was partitioned and the family leftPeshawar and moved toBombay (present-day Mumbai).[19]
Khanna attendedSt. Mary's School, Bombay until class II and then transferred toDelhi.[20] In 1957, the family moved toDelhi where he attendedDelhi Public School, Mathura Road. Although the family moved back to Bombay in 1960, he was sent toBarnes School inDeolali, nearNashik. During his time at the boarding school Khanna watched the epicsSolva Saal andMughal-e-Azam and fell in love with motion pictures.[21] He graduated with a commerce degree fromSydenham College, Bombay.[22] Khanna loved cricket and had said that "there was a time when I played fair cricket with (Test player)Budhi Kunderan.. but settled for films the moment I realised I couldn't be aVishwanath! Even so cricket, not films, is my first love," in an interview withThe Illustrated Weekly of India in 1979.[23]
Khanna's first film wasAdurthi Subba Rao'sromantic thrillerMan Ka Meet produced bySunil Dutt and released in 1968.[24] The film performed well at the box office and Khanna, who played a supporting role in the film, was noticed by the audience.[25] His breakthrough came in 1970 when he co-starred alongsideRajesh Khanna inSachaa Jhutha andAan Milo Sajna andManoj Kumar inPurab Aur Paschim, all three of which were blockbusters as well as among the top five highest grossing films of that year.[26]
He bagged his first leading role inGulzar's maiden directional ventureMere Apne (1971), which opened to positive response from critics and proved to be a hit. He then played the antagonist inRaj Khosla'saction dramaMera Gaon Mera Desh which hadDharmendra andAsha Parekh in the lead.[27] The film made the industry shift to action from romantic films and was anAll Time Blockbuster at the box office with Khanna receiving praise for his menacing portrayal of a treacherous bandit.[28][29] He had another huge hit in Kewal Mishra's actionerDo Yaar, the following year and a highly acclaimedcrime drama with Gulzar'sAchanak in 1973, based on theK. M. Nanavati v. State of Maharashtra case.[30]
In 1974, Khanna starred inPrakash Mehra'smasala filmHaath Ki Safai which also hadRandhir Kapoor andHema Malini in the lead.[31] The film emerged a superhit at the box office and made Khanna a star along with winning him theFilmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor.[32][33] The huge box office success ofHaath Ki Safai was followed by four more successful films,Imtihan andPatthar Aur Payal, the same year,Prem Kahani (in which he had a small role) andQaid, the next year.[34]
Khanna reached his peak in the late-1970s.[32] In 1976, he reunited with Prakash Mehra for another masala filmHera Pheri co-starringAmitabh Bachchan,Saira Banu andSulakshana Pandit.[35] The film went on to become a blockbuster and earned him a nomination in theFilmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor category.[36] He then delivered two more major successes with Chand's and Raj Khosla's actioners,Shankar Shambhu andNehle Pe Dehla, respectively.[36] 1977 proved to be the best year of his career with many successful films.[32] His first release was theaction crime filmKhoon Pasina alongside Bachchan andRekha, which proved to be a superhit.[37] His second release wasManmohan Desai's multi-starrer masala filmAmar Akbar Anthony.[38] It opened to thunderous response from the audience, eventually doing more business than Khanna's last big hitKhoon Pasina and emerging a massive blockbuster as well as the highest grossing film of that year.[37] Its soundtrack composed byLaxmikant–Pyarelal dominated the musical charts and was the seventh best-selling Hindi film album of the 1970s.[39] He then appeared inAap Ki Khatir,Shaque andHatyara. While the first two were moderately successful,Hatyara was a superhit at the box office.[37] For his portrayal of a man accused of multiple homicides inShaque, Khanna received his first nomination in theFilmfare Award for Best Actor category.[40] He once again reunited with Bachchan and Manmohan Desai for thecrime drama filmParvarish.[41] This one too like their previous ventures was a blockbuster and one of the highest earners of 1977.[42] Before the end of year, he had another superhit withRaj N. Sippy's crime thrillerInkaar, which was a remake ofJapanese filmHigh and Low, followed by three more successful films,Maha Badmaash,Chor Sipahee andAdha Din Adhi Raat.[43][37] Khanna's dream continued in 1978 with back-to-back mega blockbusters in Raj Khosla's women-oriented dramaMain Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki and Prakash Mehra's magnum opus, the action crime dramaMuqaddar Ka Sikandar.[42] The music ofMuqaddar Ka Sikandar was a chartbuster and the sixth best-selling Hindi film album of the 1970s.[39] The huge box office success of these two films was followed byKhoon Ki Pukaar,Khoon Ka Badla Khoon andSarkari Mehmaan, all three of which were semi-hits.[44] He concluded the year withSunil Dutt's actionerDaaku Aur Jawan co-starring Dutt,Reena Roy andLeena Chandavarkar. It did very well at the box office and proved to be a superhit.[44]
In 1979, he delivered a moderate success withMahesh Bhatt's fourth directional ventureLahu Ke Do Rang, but his other releases, such asMeera andYuvraaj failed to do well.[45] The following year, he appeared in two big-budget actioners,Ravi Chopra'sThe Burning Train co-starring Dharmendra, Jeetendra, Hema Malini and Parveen Babi in the lead andFeroz Khan'sQurbani alongside Khan andZeenat Aman.[46][47] The former opened to bumper response, but collections fell afterwards and was given an average verdict by the end of its run; however, it gained cult status in later years.[48] Khanna's other big ventureQurbani also opened to massive response and emerged a blockbuster as well as the highest grosser of the year with Khanna receiving praise for his performance along with his second and final nomination in theFilmfare Award for Best Actor category.[49] Its soundtrack composed byKalyanji–Anandji andBiddu was popular, with its songs like "Aap Jaisa Koi", "Laila O Laila" and "Hum Tumhe Chahte Hain" topping the musical charts and making it the sixth best-selling Hindi film album of the 1980s.[50][51] In 1981, he again collaborated with Rajesh Khanna and Hema Malini forChetan Anand'sreincarnation dramaKudrat.[52] In spite of presence of some of the biggest stars of that time and its soundtrack being one of the best-selling Hindi film albums of the 1980s,Kudrat was rejected at ticket counters and proved to be a flop.[51][53] Khanna's other releases that year, such asJail Yatra,Khuda Kasam andEk Aur Ek Gyarah met the same fate.[54] This changed in 1982 as he had a string of successful films withRajput,Insaan andTaaqat.[55] The year also marked Khanna's hiatus from the film industry as he took a spiritual break and moved to Rajneeshpuram in theUnited States, eventually staying there for five years.[56]
After a five year hiatus, Khanna returned to films withMukul Anand's successful actionerInsaaf which also hadDimple Kapadia in the lead.[15] The following year, however all of his films, including biggiesDayavan andAakhri Adaalat failed to leave a mark.[57] In 1989, his first release wasEsmayeel Shroff's action filmSuryaa: An Awakening, which performed well commercially and proved to be a hit venture.[58] Khanna then appeared inYash Chopra'sromantic musicalChandni co-starringSridevi andRishi Kapoor.[59] The film opened to excellent audience response and emerged a blockbuster at the box office.[60] Its soundtrack composed byShiv–Hari was one of the best-selling Hindi film albums of the 1980s.[61]Chandni wonNational Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment and Khanna received his final nomination in theFilmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor category.[62][63]
With the advent of the 1990s, Khanna's star power began to wane. From 1990 to 1996, only two of his films proved to be box office successes, which were -T. Rama Rao'sMuqaddar Ka Badshaah (1990) andK. C. Bokadia'sPolice Aur Mujrim (1992).[64][65] During this phase, his final collaboration with Gulzar took place for themystery filmLekin... (1991), which again had Dimple Kapadia opposite him.[66] Although the film underperformed commercially, it was a major critical success and went on to win five awards at the38th National Film Awards.[67][68] In 1997, he launched and co-starred alongside his sonAkshaye Khanna inHimalay Putra, which opened to lukewarm response and flopped at the box office.[69] Khanna receivedFilmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999.[70] Beginning from 2001, he played supporting roles to critical acclaim in films, such asDeewaanapan (2001),Kranti (2002) andRisk (2007).[71][72][73]
In 2009, Khanna appeared inRaj & DK'scrime comedy film99 andPrabhu Deva's action thrillerWanted.[74][75] Both the films opened to positive reception and emerged commercially successful, especially the latter which did a lifetime business of₹93.23 crore.[76][77] This was followed by back-to-back blockbusters inDabangg (2010) and its sequel,Dabangg 2 (2012), both havingSalman Khan andSonakshi Sinha in the lead roles.[78][79] He then played supporting roles inRamaiya Vastavaiya (2013),Koyelaanchal (2014) andDilwale (2015). While the former two didn't perform well at the box office,Dilwale emerged a commercial success grossing₹376.85 crore worldwide.[80][81][82] The last film to feature Khanna wasSekhar Suri's much delayed action filmGuns of Banaras (2020), which released almost three years after his death.[83]
In 1997, Khanna joined theBharatiya Janata Party and was elected fromGurdaspur constituency inPunjab in the next year'sLok Sabha poll.[84] In 1999, he was re-elected to the Lok Sabha from the same constituency. Later, he became Union Minister for Culture and Tourism in July 2002. Six months later, he was moved to theMinistry of External Affairs (MEA) asMinister of State. In 2004 he won re-election from Gurdaspur. However, Khanna lost out in the 2009 general elections. In the 2014 general election he was again elected for the16th Lok Sabha from the same constituency.[85] He also served as Union minister of state for tourism and culture, as well as external affairs.[86]
In 2014, theIndian National Congress filed a formal complaint with theElection Commission alleging that Khanna and a colleague had circulated "highly inflammatory and provocative" messages through social media to incite communal tension and further his electoral prospects, and sought legal action including potential disqualification from contesting the polls.[87]
In 2019, after Khanna’s death, his widow publicly stated that she felt "hurt" and "abandoned" when the Bharatiya Janata Party chose not to offer her its nomination for the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat that her husband had represented for multiple terms, a decision that sparked media discussion and criticism within party circles.[88]
Khanna met his first wife Gitanjali Taleyar in college. She was the daughter ofA. F. S. Talyarkhan, the first Indian cricket commentator in the early 1950s.[89][21] Khanna married Gitanjali in 1971[90] and had two sons with her,Rahul andAkshaye; both became Bollywood actors. Khanna and Gitanjali settled for a divorce in 1985.[91]
In 1990, upon returning to India, Khanna married Kavita Daftary, daughter of industrialistSharayu Daftary.[92][93] They had a son[94] and a daughter.[95]
Khanna always considered himself spiritual, owing to his family background as well his discovery ofParamahansa Yogananda's 1946 bookAutobiography of a Yogi he read while still in college.[96]
In 1975, he became a disciple ofOsho and in the early 1980s, moved toRajneeshpuram, Osho's religious community inOregon, United States.[97][98] Among his activities, Khanna would practice meditation and be Osho's gardener.[99] Taking the name "Swami Vinod Bharti", Khanna would live a spiritual life for some five years before abandoning it, eventually growing disillusioned with spirituality, writing that "I realised that spirituality was meant for rich people who loved to indulge in things and phenomena that are absolutely impractical."[100]
Khanna was hospitalised atSir H.N. Reliance Foundation Hospital and Research Centre in Girgaon, Mumbai, on 2 April 2017 for a few weeks after suffering from severe dehydration. He died at 11:20 a.m. (IST) on 27 April, and it was revealed that he had been battling advancedbladder cancer. Prime MinisterNarendra Modi tweeted "Will always remember Vinod Khanna as a popular actor, dedicated leader and a wonderful human. Pained by his demise. My condolences".[101][102] He was cremated at the Worli Crematorium on the same day.[103]
Known for his acting and style, Khanna was considered one of the most good-looking artists of his time and excelled in bothcommercial andart-house films.[104][105] His villanious roles gave him enough recognition. DirectorManmohan Desai said, “Vinod was never a supporting actor in theAmitabh Bachchan starrers. In my films he had a parallel role to Amitabh. Vinod is full hero material."[106] Bhawana Somaaya ofTheQuint wrote, "His solid screen presence ensured that irrespective of whether his role was positive or negative, he was noticed in all his films."[107]Times Now placed Khanna 3rd in its list of the “Most Good Looking Actors on Indian Screen".[108]
One of the highest paid actors from the 1970s to the early 1980s, Khanna appeared inBox Office India's "Top Actors" list three times from 1977 to 1979.[109] In 2022, he was placed inOutlook India's "75 Best Bollywood Actors" list.[110]
Although Vinod Khanna enjoyed major success as both a leading man and screen villain, several critics have highlighted limitations in his acting style and screen presence. A detailed analysis inThe Quint argued that he "was not an electrifying screen presence", that "his mere appearance on the screen did not enliven the audience", and that his facial expressions were comparatively limited, also lacking the voice, vocal dynamism and modulation (especially in dialogue delivery), charisma, and comic timing of contemporaries like Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra. The same article noted that his strengths lay more in sincerity of effort than in innate dramatic range or acting abilities.[111]
On his death, Amitabh Bachchan said, "No one walked the way he did.. no one had the presence he had in a crowded room.. no one could lighten up the surroundings he was in like him."[112]Akshay Kumar called his demise "an end of an era".[113] FilmmakerKaran Johar said, "His screen presence is unparallelled even today... His superstar swag is what we grew up on.[113]
%2c_the_award_received_by_his_wife_Ms._Kavita_Khanna_and_son_Akshay_Khanna%2c_at_the_65th_National_Film_Awards_Function.JPG)
The story goes that BR Chopra's son Ravi Chopra saw The Towering Inferno (1974) while on a trip abroad and was very taken up with the story of a fire that engulfs the world's tallest skyscraper on its opening night.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)| Lok Sabha | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forGurdaspur 1998–2009 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forGurdaspur 2014–2017 | Succeeded by |
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