Rajesh Khanna made a lasting impact on Bollywood through his impressive career. The pivotal moment in his cinematic journey came with Shakti Samanta’s Aradhana, which not only enjoyed significant box office success but also created history by becoming the first Hindi film to run for over 100 days.
In the Northeastern and four South Indian states where Hindi is not the primary language, Aradhana had four daily screenings. Impressively, the movie ran for three years in South Indian theatres, achieving platinum jubilee status nationwide. The film witnessed a staggering 42 million tickets sold and Rs 7 crore generated at the box office.
Aradhana, released on September 27, 1969, had a stellar cast including Sharmila Tagore, Farida Jalal and Madan Puri. Rajesh Khanna’s dual role as air force pilot Arun and son Suraj Prasad Saxena in the film played a pivotal role in propelling him to stardom.
The music of Aradhana, particularly the beloved song Mere Sapno Ki Rani, resonated deeply with the audience. Filmed against the scenic backdrop of Darjeeling’s mountains, the song gained immense popularity. Rajesh Khanna’s iconic head tilt and hand movements in this track became synonymous with the song and connected well with the audience. The soulful vocals by Kishore Kumar and the music composition by SD Burman added to the overall success and cultural impact of the film.
Following the success of Aradhana, Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore shared the limelight in other hit films like Amar Prem and Aavishkar. However, their collaboration hit a snag when Sharmila Tagore decided to stop working with Rajesh Khanna due to his chronic lateness on set. Revealed in the audiobook ‘Rajesh Khanna: Ek Tanha Sitara,’ the actress expressed frustration with his habit of arriving at noon for a 9 a.m. shoot, leading her to choose other actors for future projects.
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