Rajesh Khanna Couldn't Take Amitabh Bachchan's Success, Prem Chopra, 'Difficult For Him To Digest..'

Rajesh Khanna was the Indian film industry's first superstar. Girls would go crazy for him and would even write love letters in blood. Some of his famous films are Aradhana, Anand, Kati Patang, Haathi Mere Saathi, and Amar Prem. But Rajesh Khanna's stardom didn't last forever, and he saw the worst phase of his life, his films failing, and another young actor being loved for his charisma, who was none other than Amitabh Bachchan.

Prem Chopra revealed how Rajesh Khanna couldn't digest Amitabh Bachchan's success

Recently, Prem Chopra appeared in veteran journalist Vickey Lalwani's podcast, wherein he talked about Rajesh Khanna's fall. He revealed that Rajesh Khanna couldn't cope when the spotlight shifted on Amitabh Bachchan and his charm started to fade. In reality, fans were still in love with him, but they were also in love with Amitabh Bachchan and his work.

Talking about Rajesh Khanna's lowest phase, Prem Chopra revealed that the actor never openly discussed what bothered him, but the entire industry knew as it was visible and people could sense it. It was difficult for him to digest his failure as he was a top star back then. To cope up with the changing dynamics, Rajesh Khanna started drinking heavily. He said:

"He didn’t discuss it, but I could feel what was going on. It was difficult for him to digest that failure...to accept this position when he was already a top star, a superstar. He was drinking earlier too, but then he started drinking heavily. This happens everywhere, when such things happen, an actor either drinks more or something goes wrong because they can’t tolerate what they were and what they are now."

Prem Chopra further revealed why Amitabh Bachchan's stardom surpassed Rajesh Khanna's fame. He revealed that Amitabh Bachchan came into the industry with the acceptance that he wasn't the hero of the film, and it is not he who is the reason behind the success of a film. He played characters with utmost honesty, and they started to resonate with the audience. Prem Chopra was quoted as saying:

"The difference between him and Amitabh Bachchan was that Amitabh had accepted, ‘I am not the hero of the picture.’ He didn’t take the film on his shoulders. It was the character he was doing, and his character was outstanding. Every film (of his) was doing so well."

Prem Chopra further revealed that Amitabh Bachchan's ability to adapt to big roles made him a superstar. In fact, there was a time when he had no work, and he walked to Yash Chopra's home asking for work. He had seen his struggling days; he had lost a lot of money and property. Amitabh Bachchan always learned from his mistakes. Prem Chopra said:

"He himself has said he lost a lot of money, property and all that. But once he got into it, there was no looking back. He walked from his house to Yash Chopra’s house for a role when he had no work. He went and said, ‘I want work.’ He is a very hardworking actor. When he comes on set, he comes before time and works on the character he is doing."

Rajesh Khanna's life 

Talking about Rajesh Khanna's personal life, he was married to Dimple Kapadia. The couple have two daughters, Twinkle Khanna and Rinkie Khanna, and they are both happily married. However, within a few months of marriage, Dimple Kapadia left him with her daughters. Later, when Rajesh Khanna was diagnosed with cancer and was in his last days, Dimple Kapadia was by his bedside and took care of him. 

What do you think about Rajesh Khanna's way of handling his failure?

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