‘Rajesh Khanna’s car would be covered in lipstick marks’: Kiran Kumar says Kaka’s stardom remains unparalleled, admits ‘Salman Khan comes close, but…’

He recalled, “I was working on a film called Savera. Kaka’s secretary was producing it, Kaka bankrolled it. It was basically Kaka sahab’s film. In the evenings, we’d go over to his house. It was called Dimple. He was a fabulous host; few could rival him in that department. I’ve never seen stardom like his, believe me. Salman Khan comes close, but the stardom that Rajesh Khanna had, nobody had. His car would be covered in lipstick marks wherever it was parked…”

He continued, “We’d go over to his house, and rehearse the next day’s scenes. The director would ask Kaka to perform the scenes for us, and he’d do it, while we drank Black Label. Now, if Rajesh Khanna is performing scenes live in front of you, wouldn’t that stay in your mind? I look back on my performances from back then, and yes, I can see shades of Rajesh Khanna in them. It’s not his fault, it’s my fault. I should not have succumbed to this pressure.”

Rajesh Khanna, often regarded as the biggest star of his era, died in 2012. Kiran Kumar went from playing lead roles to character parts to appearing in ‘B and C-grade films’ in his career, but he said that he is proud of the position he has carved out for himself.