Forgotten Rajesh Khanna had to sit on his own luggage because nobody offered him a seat: ‘The man who sat on thrones…’

Actor Rajesh Khanna's fall from grace was so drastic that he found himself grasping to hold on to the last vestiges of fame.

By: Entertainment Desk

New Delhi | May 20, 2025 12:55 PM IST

4 min read

Rajesh Khanna passed away in 2012 at 69.

Rajesh Khanna witnessed unprecedented success as a leading man in the 1960s and 1970s, but the decline of his career was as abrupt as its ascent. Often described as ‘India’s first superstar’, Rajesh Khanna had a famous fall from grace towards the end of his life, and spent most of his time alone at home, in the company of alcohol. His close friend, journalist Ali Peter John, wrote extensively about his interactions with the superstar over the years. In an article, he wrote about Rajesh’s growing insecurities about his declining fame; at his lowest, he would spend his birthdays alone, receiving only a couple of bouquets in comparison to the thousands that would be sent to him during his peak.

“His afternoons, evenings and nights were the times when the only company he had was his memories of the glorious past and the misery of the present and the fear of an uncertain future,” Peter John wrote, recalling, “The worst moments of his silence to which (he) was a witness.” He reflected on a journey that they took together to Kolkata, to attend a function organised in the superstar’s honour. “He said he had not been to a public function for a long time and had felt nervous about whether there would be an audience to welcome him or not,” Peter John continued, adding that he suggested that they share a couple of drinks to calm their nerves.

Also read – Rumoured to be haunted, Rajesh Khanna’s ‘cursed’ sea-facing bungalow Aashirwad was purchased for just Rs 3.5 lakh; it was sold for Rs 90 crore

Rajesh said, “Nahi Ali, sharab abhi nahi, function mein peekar jaana theek nahi hai, woh bhi aurton ke function mein (No Ali, I shouldn’t drink now, it’s not right to drink before an event, especially one where women will be present).” Rajesh’s philosophical spiral continued during the event, as he noticed the adulation he was receiving, the adulation that was missing in his regular life. He leaned over to Peter John and whispered in his ear, “Ali, kya aisa lagta nahi ki main abhi bhi superstar hoon (Ali, doesn’t it seem like I am still a superstar)?”

The reality hit when he and Peter John returned to Mumbai. The journalist added, “The function was over and we drove back and I could see the revival of a new Rajesh Khanna which lasted till we came back to Mumbai and the reality of his being nowhere and no one hit him in his face when no one at the airport was even willing to offer him a seat and he finally had to sit on his own bag. Who could have imagined that a time would come when the greatest ever superstar would be reduced to this kind of a situation. The man who once sat on all kinds of thrones was now waiting for someone to offer him a seat, which no one was willing to offer him and he had no other way but to ask his bag for help.”

Rajesh Khanna died of cancer in 2012. Peter John recalled that he wasn’t allowed to pay his final respects to the superstar, and was barred from entering the prayer meet that had been organised for him at a Bandra hotel. Hundreds of thousands came out to bid him farewell.

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