Grandson Aarav lights Rajesh Khanna’s pyre (Lead)
July 19th, 2012 - 2:32 pm ICT by IANS
Mumbai, July 19 (IANS) The last rites of Rajesh Khanna were performed by his grandson Aarav at the Vile Parle crematorium Thursday with family, friends and fans bidding the superstar a tearful adieu.
The actor’s nine-year-old grandson thrust a torch into the pyre with the help of his actor-father Akshay Kumar, who is married to Rajesh Khanna’s elder daughter Twinkle, and the body of the superstar, who became heartthrob of millions since attaining stardom in 1969, was engulfed in flames.
The actor, fondly called Kaka by his family and friends, passed away Wednesday morning following a liver infection. He was 69.
His last journey generated the same frenzy that he did when he attained stardom in the 1970s.
The legend’s final journey started around 10 a.m. from his residence Aashirwad in Bandra. His body, in a transparent casket, was placed on a mini-truck decorated with white flowers and the crowd moved along with it.
Thousands, including the superstar’s fans, friends, family and film fraternity members gathered to say a tearful goodbye to Rajesh Khanna, signifying the loss of a great star.
The procession started from his Bandra residence and went through Carter Road, Turner Road and S.V. Road before reaching the crematorium. The original plan was to have a longer procession, but due to rain it was kept short, but it didn’t deter his fans, who gathered in huge numbers.
The frenzy was perhaps just what the Bollywood’s first superstar had been missing all these years.
It was a farewell that the superstar deserved.
With him on his last journey were his estranged wife Dimple, who took care of him in the last days, his younger daughter Rinke and son-in-law, Akshay. Twinkle was missing from the procession as she is in the family way.
Among the Bollywood big wigs who attended his last rites were Amitabh Bachchan, his successor as superstar, Sudhir Mishra, Rani Mukerji, Karan Johar, Sajid Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Vinod Khanna and Aadesh Shrivastava.
Rajesh started his career with the 1966 film “Akhari Khat” and went on to give hit films like “Aradhana”, “Kati Patang”, “Anand” and “Amar Prem” that propelled him to dazzling fame.
His last words before his demise, according to megastar Amitabh Bachchan, were “Time to pack up” i true Bollywood-style.
- Grandson Aarav lights Rajesh Khanna's pyre (Second Lead) - Jul 19, 2012
- Grandson Aarav lights Rajesh Khanna's pyre - Jul 19, 2012
- My father-in-law got a funeral he deserved: Akshay Kumar - Jul 21, 2012
- Thousands gather to bid adieu to Kaka - Jul 19, 2012
- Crowd has scant respect for the departed: Big B - Jul 20, 2012
- Rajesh Khanna, Bollywood's first superstar, no more (Roundup) - Jul 18, 2012
- Rajesh Khanna dead (Second Lead) - Jul 18, 2012
- Rajesh Khanna fine, says family - Jun 21, 2012
- Bollywood prays for Rajesh Khanna's departed soul - Jul 21, 2012
- Rajesh Khanna gets few visitors at Lilavati - Jul 01, 2012
- 'Achcha to hum chalte hain': Rajesh Khanna bids a quiet adieu (Obituary) - Jul 18, 2012
- Rajesh Khanna improving, likely to be released soon - Jun 28, 2012
- Rajesh Khanna serious - Jul 18, 2012
- Rajesh Khanna suffered from liver infection - Jul 19, 2012
- Rajesh Khanna to be discharged in a day or two - Jun 24, 2012
Tags: aade, abhishek bachchan, akshay kumar, carter road, elder daughter, final journey, fraternity members, johar, last journey, liver infection, rajesh khanna, rani mukerji, sajid khan, sudhir mishra, tearful goodbye, turner road, v road, vile parle, vinod khanna, white flowers