A day before Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination an Arti Thali fell down on 20 th May at Polling station where both Rajiv and Sonia Gandhi had cast their vote with Kaka !

Rajesh Khanna for whom the Superstardom was coined for the first time and was considered as first and original Superstar of Mumbai Film Industry when joined active politics on the then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi’s invitation had himself nursed the feeling to become MP and then minister in the government. But his desire to become minister dashed after Rajivji’s assassination in Sriperumbudur on May 21.Had Rajiv Gandhi been alive Kaka would have become the minister. When Rajiv Gandhi’s news about his tragic assassination arrived Rajesh Khanna was in the marriage ceremony of the brother of this author in Rama Krishna Puram, Sector 2. Rajivji died at 10.10 PM and as soon as the security man of Delhi Police accompanying Kaka got the news on his wireless set he came rushing to the function informing him about Rajivji’s sudden tragedy, after calling him away from the crowd as Kaka was desperately surrounded by people, who never knew that he would be there in the ceremony as Sunil Negi ( the author) has not revealed it to anyone in advance thinking may be the superstar may miss it due to his preoccupation. Then Kaka was living in Som Vihar Apartment in the flat of Curls and Curve’s owner Vandana Luthra and I had personally gone there to accompany him to the marriage venue as requested by Kaka. On knowing about Rajivji’s tragic death, Kaka was badly shaken from inside and rushed back to his car leaving the function in a huff, clearing the crowd of his fans, first immediately reaching 10 Jan path and then to Teen Murthi House where Rajivji’s body was kept for Darshan etc. I remember Kaka uttering within himself oh my God I have lost my God father. Kaka had tremendous respect and faith on Rajiv Gandhi and the latter too was very fond of him as a popular superstar, having watched his several super duper hit movies. Just a day ago on 20 th May the day of the voting of national elections the former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and his wife Sonia Gandhi had come to the polling station at Nirman Bhawan building, New Delhi and one of that day’s picture published on the front pages of all national dailies with Kaka helping Sonia Gandhi cast her vote and Rajiv Gandhi smiling. This author was with Kaka and R. K. Dhawan on this very day in the morning when former PM Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi arrived to cast their vote. Just prior to their arrival Kaka and the author had gone to check the polling booth inside when several photographers having positioned themselves inside took our snaps. When Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi arrived at the polling station they were welcomed by Kaka, Dhawan n some selected Sewa Dal women members who took Aarti of both Rajiv n Sonia Gandhi trying to apply vermillion of their forehead. While performing the Arti the Thali fell down all of a sudden. Sonia Gandhi became nervous as in Indian mythology it is usually considered as bad omen. She wanted to return back but Rajivji took it in good humour and said it’s nothing bad, it can happen always. No problem said Rajiv and moved ahead to cast their votes along with Kaka n Dhawan. A news has appeared in Indian Express the other day terming this as an indication of bad omen in small news column. Some took it as conservative or orthodox superstitious thoughts. The next day on 21 st May Rajiv Gandhi was invited to Sriperumbudur to address a huge rally and he had already accepted the invitation. At 10.10 the cruelest of the tragedy occurred putting the entire nation in a shocking mode.

The picture above clicked by several photographers of Hindustan Times, etc was very dear to Kaka as it was published is several newspapers the other day i. e on 21 st May, 2021. After several years when he lost New Delhi he phoned me from Mumbai to arrange the negative of this picture any how. I tried but couldn’t succeed and told him to get a photo of photo but he wouldn’t agree as he said that the pic would become blur as it will loose its focus. After great efforts it was arranged and Kaka got a huge photo out of this original negative and got it nicely framed to fix it at the main inner entrance of Ashirvaad till he was alive. The Bungalow was sold thereafter to one Shetty, builders and now in place of Ashirvaad stands a multi storey building. Kaka wanted to convert it into a museum.