When Rajesh Khanna talked about romantic heroes over the decades: ‘Whenever a romantic hero has been created, he has become immortal’

“It’s obvious when you look back, that the romantic heroes are those remembered today, and will always be remembered. In the 30s, there was PC Barua and KL Saigal. After that, we had Ashok Kumar saab and Dilip Kumar saab. Then to some extent, there was Dev Anand and by the 60s, it was my turn. There have been different kind of romantic heroes, like Dilip Kumar had the image of a tragedian as well as a romantic hero,” he said.

Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore in a still from Aradhana. (Express Archive Photos)

Rajesh Khanna said there have been many heroes in Indian cinema but not romantic heroes, because it is “extremely difficult to maintain a romantic image”. He added, “But there have been some fortunate people, like me. In romance, it is difficult to create such an individual image. If I have done it, it is only because music, romance, and everything else helped me. Whenever a romantic hero has been created on screen, he has become immortal.”

Few years after the interview clip, debuted another actor, who went on to become the biggest romantic star of the generation– Shah Rukh Khan.

Rajesh Khanna’s blockbuster phase began with Shakti Samanta’s romantic musical Aradhana, which made him an overnight sensation. He later headlined other blockbusters like Do Raaste, Purab Aur Paschim, Bandhan, Kati Patan, Anand and Andaz among others, making a record of delivering 15 consecutive hits in a span of three years.