SUNIL NEGI
It is usually said that a person’s value is known only after he leaves this world for eternal journey never to come back again, especially those who matter in the society.
There are so many dignified personalities who when alive, are, though popular but not earn so much of respect which they actually deserve than, after their death. And some are known much when alive but after they bid final adieu to this life are loved, adored, revered and remembered unusually and tremendously.
Rajesh Khanna aka Kaka was one such iconic personality who though gave back to back fifteen super duper hits, majority of them being diamond jubilee – from 1969 to 1972 and even after that, the record of which has not been broken till yet.
When Kaka breathed his last at Aashirvad due to liver cirrhosis , he last words were ” Time Ho Gaya , Pack Up”. These last words were told to super star Amitabh Bachchan by Kaka’s close associate who was with him during his critical days.
A senior journalist who was in Aaj Tak, Sumit Mishra, (who is also no more now unfortunately) elder brother of Sanjay Mishra , a renowned actor was one of the visitors at Aashirvad to meet Kaka before his death from Delhi.
Sumit Mishra was introduced to Kaka by me during electioneering when the latter was contesting from New Delhi parliamentary seat in 1991-92 first against L.K.Advani and then against his Bollywood counterpart Shatrughan Sinha.
Sumit was then a reporter in Jansatta, Indian Express group and I being media advisor to Kaka used to keep all the journalists in good humour to ensure good coverage of Kaka.
Sumit Mishra gradually came closer to Kaka and when he was married the superstar went to his marriage function and thereafter when he was blessed with the first child arranged an to and from air ticket for him as a gift to go to meet his wife and infant at his ancestral house where his baby was born at that point of time. Such was Kaka’s adoration towards the friends he loved.
After 1996 when Kaka lost from New Delhi to Jagmohan , former union minister and BJP candidate , Kaka left Delhi and his loving 81 LODHI ESTATE Bungalow taking all the furniture to “Aashirvad”, Mumbai in a truck but his association with New Delhi and Delhi friends, few from media was intact.
He used to be in touch casually and Sumit Mishra , Aaj Tak still held Kaka in high esteem. I fondly remember that Sumit Mishra’s actor brother Sanjay Mishra when he was new to films used to come to 81 LODHI ESTATE to seek Kaka’s blessings. He has then acted in a simple role in a Serial Chanakya.
Sumit Mishra was one of the few well wishers who visited “Aashirvad” few days before his sad demise from Delhi. Sumit disclosed to me that when he went to Aashirvad Kaka didn’t meet people much because he knew his ultimate fate. He came to Aashirvad on his own from Hospital when the doctors revealed about his disease’s final outcome. Kaka loved Aashirvad so heartily that he want to breathe his last there. Sumit reveals when he met Kaka on his bed at Aashirvaad , he smiled and asked him to sit near him. Though he was ill he was still smoking ” Dunhill Cigarette” his old very pet brand and his hands trembling. There were tears in Sumit Mishra’s eyes and so in Kaka’s as both knew that the days are numbered.
What is the saddest part of this story is after a few years Sumi Mishra also met a sad end at his Ghaziabad house. I vividly remember that when Kaka died , Sumit Mishra spoke about him the whole day in “Aaj Tak” remembering the first and original superstar and paying his tributes telling people about his hey days with Kaka during and after electioneering.
Ashirvaad where Kaka breathed his last asking doctors to relieve him from hospital earlier to die in peace at his most adored Bungalow was the superstars dream house. He wanted to convert it into a Rajesh Khanna museum where his clothes and every house article including his life and professional history is revealed to millions of his s fans to keep him mortal even after his death , but his all hope wete dashed by the family who sold it to one boulder Shetty where today stands a multy story building.
When KAKA died all the Who’s Who of Bollywood visited his house and funeral site to pay their last respects to this institution of the Indian Film Industry.
There were millions of his fans, followers and hundreds of die hard fans in his last ” SHAV YATRA” even from Western and European nations, the majority of them of Indian origin. I saw Kaka for the last time at The Rajesh Khanna and ” The Treat ” owned by Vipin Oberoi near Metreyi College, Diplomatic enclave opposite Palestine Embassy in Chanakyapuri about a year or maybe less before his death. But I didn’t meet him as Kakaji was weak and didn’t want to meet anyone . Vipin said he is there in the dark and avoiding meeting people. I had met Kaka a few months ago at the same precincts and had drinks with him enjoying his company for a pretty long time. Vipin Oberoi whom Kaka considered like his younger brother also went to Mumbai to pay his last respects meeting Dimple, Akshay and family members. After Kaka’s death Dimple visited Delhi twice, once at Oberoi’s food van “The Treat” and another time at the inaugural function of Kaka’s statue and naming of the park at Lajpat Nagar , a part of his constituency when he was MP on 16 December 2018. Since Kaka’s death every year on the super star and former MP’s death and birth anniversaries a Hawan is organised at The Rajesh Khanna The Treat and hundreds of poor, down trodden and construction workers are delivered food packets as a mark of respect to Rajesh Khanna aka Kaka. Several singers and die hard fans of the super star turned ex MP also sing their mesmerising songs of Rajesh Khanna movies. What is interesting to know about Kaka is that even after the first and original superstar’s death in 2012 , July Kaka is still remembered by his millions n millions of fans and articles published on him including his films and songs sung all over the country in stage programmes with his glamorous aura still intact. Though I have lots of memories with Kaka but one anecdote to remind you all. Few years before Kaka’s death in Delhi the dates of Delhi Municipal Corporation elections were announced. Kaka had already helped a lot of Congress candidates by campaigning for them in various constituencies of Delhi and majority have won as MLAs and Corporators. Though I was in close proximity with Kaka and helped him a lot in coordinating his media for several years , I never asked for any favours though lot of Delhi politicians used to seek favours from him and benefited. One day I got a call from Kaka on my landline number. Kaka asked me to meet him at his Sarvaprita Vihar house. I did so . He asked me why don’t you try for a Councillor ticket. I said I never thought of it. He said Have a try. Give me your full picture and a biodata and the constituency of my preference. Since I was not prepared though happy , I hurriedly made the resume, have him the picture and the details etc. He said he’ll try and may get it done. However, despite his best efforts through V.George and Ahmed Patel , the then secretary to Sonia Gandhi things didn’t materialise. But the way he showed interest means a lot to me. I was happy that things didn’t materialise as I was not prepared nor has any money to contest etc. However, he had earlier got me a landline phone, got allotted a government flat and bought a brand new two wheeler etc. Kaka got the MLA ticket from Janakpuri for Deepak Arora against all odds and helped few others who had been law makers from Delhi for several years. What’s the sad part for Kaka was that after losing from New Delhi against BJP’s Jagmohan Kaka’s services were always sought for extensive campaigning in Delhi, Haryana and in Northeast including several other parliamentary constituencies but was never brought to Rajya Sabha despite assurances from 10 Janpath. But despite all this Kaka a man of principle having respect for Rajiv Gandhi at whose behest he joined active politics he refused the offer of Mulayam Singh Yadav for Rajya Sabha from UP , which I think very few people know.
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