‘Girls used to kiss Rajesh Khanna’s car, no one even said hello to him on set after downfall’: Samir Soni on harsh realities of acting profession

Samir Soni said that people who think that they can take up acting as a profession because of their good looks are being delusional.

Rajesh Khanna was the most sought after Bollywood star in the 60s and 70s. (Photo: Express Archives)

By: Entertainment Desk

Mumbai | Updated: July 28, 2024 10:02 PM IST

4 min read

Baghban actor Samir Soni recently spoke about the harsh realities of the acting profession. Giving an example of how the Rajesh Khanna phenomenon swept Bollywood off its feet, he said that there was a time when women used to kiss Rajesh Khanna’s car, but no one even checked on the yesteryear superstar after his well-publicised downfall.

“It takes 100 days to make a film. What is the real life of an actor, has anyone ever asked? Nawazuddin Siddiqui was a watchman and that’s a reality, its not a lie. There was a time when girls would stop Rajesh Khanna’s car and kiss it. Then there was another time when he was sitting on set and no one would even say hello to him. This phase (the downfall) is much longer than that (success),” Samir shared with Ujjwal Trivedi.

Also read | Prem Chopra says Rajesh Khanna was ‘frustrated, could not adjust’ after losing stardom: ‘He was a misunderstood man, had his own problems’

He then shared a word of advice for those who want to become actors for the glamour that comes with the profession. He said that most people are blinded by the glitz of stardom, but nobody sees what one really goes through in the journey of becoming an actor. He said, “You should know why you want to be an actor. If you want to be an actor because you like glamour, then please don’t even try. These are wrong reasons to be an actor, because these are the things you can’t depend on, chances of these things happening are very remote. But if you still want to take a chance, then don’t sit and cry and be ready to waste the next four to five years of your life; because what will happen is when even the smallest difficulty comes, you’d want to escape. The glamour you see, you should know what goes behind it.”

“Whatever profession you are in, you should know… You should know what a doctor does (if you want to become a doctor). At least you that to be a doctor, you’ll have to go to college, do MBBS, do an internship, get a specialisation. Then you can treat a patient,” he added.

Soni also said that people who think that they can become actors because of their good looks alone need a reality check. “You think an actor’s job is done if you have six packs, if you look good. Do you even know that an actor, before he gets work, had no money to even pay rent for six to eight months. That is the reality. What you do in front of the camera, you do it because you enjoy it, it is an art. You might go empty stomach for ten months…” he concluded.

Rajesh Khanna’s downfall has been spoken about by several of his contemporaries, who noted that he didn’t come to terms with his dwindling popularity for years. His former wife Dimple Kapadia said in a 1985 India Today interview, “When a successful man goes to pieces, his frustration engulfs the entire surroundings. It was a pathetic sight when Rajesh waited at the end of the week for collection figures but the people didn’t have the guts to come and tell him.”

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