Vinod Khanna breathes his last
Prominent yesteryears Bollywood actor and politician Vinod Khanna, who seamlessly transited from negative on-screen roles to hero, died in a Mumbai hospital yesterday.
The 70-year-old actor, much sought after in 1970s and 1980s, was reportedly battling with cancer for years. In the first week of April this year, Khanna's condition deteriorated and was admitted to HN Reliance Hospital where he remained for about a month. Hospital authorities claimed his condition had become stable in between after doctors put him on drip although he had become frail during hospitalisation.
The hospital issued a statement today, which said “Veteran actor and Member of Parliament Mr. Vinod Khanna, who was admitted to the Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital breathed his last at 11.20 am due to advanced bladder carcinoma.”
Born in Peshawar (now in Pakistan) on October 6, 1946, Vinod Khanna is survived by his wife Kavita Khanna, actor sons Rahul and Akshaye and daughter Shraddha Khanna. Before marrying Kavita, Vinod Khanna was married to Getanjali but they later parted ways.
In his three-decade career in Hindi cinema beginning in 1968, Vinod Khanna acted in more than 100 films including “Mera Gaon Mera Desh”, “Imtihaan”, “Inkaar”, “Amar Akbar Anthony”, “Mere Apne”, “Lahu Ke Do Rang”, “Gaddar Qurbani”, “Dayavaan” and “Jurm”. It was in “Mera Gaon Mera Desh” that he made it big in Bollywood for the first time playing the role of a villain, opposite Dharmendra.
Picked out by late Bollywood actor Sunil Dutt, Vinod Khanna was offered, to begin with, only negative and small roles but soon got lead roles in many films. He made his film debut in 1968 with “Mann Ka Meet” and went on to become a star.
In 1982, Vinod Khanna became a follower of Osho Rajneesh at his ashram in western Indian city of Pune and stayed away from cinema for five years before returning to the tinsel town to give two superhits - “Insaaf” and “Satyamev Jayate”.
Even with a busy career in politics after joining Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party and becoming a member of parliament from Gurudaspur in Punjab state, Vinod Khanna did not turn his back on Bollywood and worked in some of the latest films like “Dabangg”, “Players”, “Dabangg 2” and “Dilwale”.
Vinod Khanna received the Filmfare award in the best supporting actor category for “Haath Ki Safaai”, and in 1999 he received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award, and again in 2007 he won a lifetime achievement award at the Zee Cine Awards.
A photo of the actor looking a frail shadow of his former self recently went viral circulating reports about his ailment.
Playback singer Asha Bhosle condoled the death of Vinod Khanna and wrote, “Very sad to hear about Vinod Khannaji. A decent man and a star till the very end.”