Kaka passionately loved the last click with Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia on May 20 near Vigyan Bhawan.

( ABOVE AUTHOR SUNIL NEGI WITH KAKA)

There is a very interesting story behind the nicely framed picture adorning the wall of Rajesh Khanna’s palatial bungalow known as AASHIRVAAD, very dear to him which was bought from the renowned Bollywood star known as Jubilee Kumar “Rajendra Kumar” for Rs Six lakhs then, probably in seventies, after signing “HATHI Mere Sathi”. Superstar Kaka was a man of precision and kept everything in order, neat and immaculately clean looking good. Even in his Delhi’s 81 Lodhi Estate government Bungalow which was later on alloted to Pramod Mahajan was already in good shape but Superstar turned MP Kaka wanted it to be renovated according to his own standards, knowing very well that after five years he will have to leave it. Even I questioned Kaka as to what’s the need for it but he won’t answer but give a affable smile. Kaka got the 81 Lodhi Estate completely renovated from inside with expensive tiles n marble fittings including furnishing his offices giving them a gracious look with a big Ganesha statue fixed near his back entrance, which was his main entrance. I fondly remember one engineer n architect Mehta with NDMC was called n his services used by Kaka for a long time. Kaka always lived a life king size and there were regular sittings in the evenings with top bureaucrats, police officers, leaders n his important colleagues. Though today, Ashirvaad which was Kaka’s most prized possession isn’t there, perished completely, unfortunately and in its place built a huge modernized Multistorey building by on Mr. Shetty, I am sure Kakaji’s soul might be definitely wandering there. This is so because Kaka had a hearty wish to convert it into a museum of ” Rajesh Khanna, the first and original Superstar”, but his hearty lifelong wish couldn’t be fulfilled. Vipin Oberoi and this writer Sunil Negi himself who had been close to Kaka during his political days, used to hear this from Kaka’s mouth. According to Vipin Oberoi Kaka once said I will make you the Director of the museum and Ashirvaad will be visited by my numerous fans from around the country and the globe who will see my attires worn by me during the shootings of my super duper films including my precious belongings etc and everyone will adore it. Alas, Kaka’s last wish could have been fulfilled. Most of the people know that Kaka had signed Hathi Mere Sathi during the seventies and Rajesh Khanna has approached Salim Javed duo with a a script of this movie requesting them to fine-tune the script so that the movie becomes a super duper hit and he gets the good amount in advance to buy ASHIRVAAD then named as DIMPLE from his veteran counterpart Bollywood actor Rajendra Kumar. Finally he bought it and Hathi Mere Sathi was a grand success. Back to the picture adorning the wall of Ashirvad in which are seen Rajesh Khanna with Sonia Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi with Kaka helping Sonia to cast the vote. This is the historic picture of the booth at Nirman Bhawan opposite Meena Bagh, in New Delhi clicked by several photographers on May 20, 1991 where this writer ( Sunil Negi) was also present being Kaka’s media advisor. The other day in May 21 Rajiv Gandhi met his tragic end at Sriperumbudur. On 21 May, this magnificent picture captured the front page of almost every national newspaper of the country. On May 21 , Kaka was in the marriage function of the writer’s younger brother Anil Negi in R.K.Puram when Rajivji’s tragic news of assassination arrived and Kaka rushed for 10 Janpath from the marriage ceremony in desperation. After Kaka became MP and things subsided, an idea came to Kaka’s mind to recover the orginal picture as above to be adorned at Ashirvad bungalow as Kaka considered Rajivji as his political God father who brought him to politics, adored him tremendously and gave ticket from New Delhi. Rajiv Gandhi was very fond of Kaka. Had he been alive then Rajesh Khanna would definitely been a union minister. Actually Rajiv had given Kaka a word to make him the minister, which very few people know. Kaka used to poke me usually about getting the negative of the above picture and I used to give him assurance thinking who will and why would a photo editor of a news paper especially Hindustan Times give me the negative of such an invaluable photo, which is against the norms. However, times elapsed and Kaka lost the election at the hands of the former union minister Jagmohan. He shifted to Mumbai. When Kaka was there almost permanently leaving Delhi, he started phoning me on my landline number very often, the phone arranged by him only under his MP quota. Whenever, Kaka used to call for the negative of the picture, I used to go in fever as I had by then tried my best but of no avail. I requested Kakaji that I can manage the positive of that picture but not negative and from that positive we will create a negative to which he refused saying that the picture won’t be that sharpened and clear. He won’t relent . Finally I requested the then photo editors S.N.Sinha n Rajiv Gupta, who entertained my request on Kaka’s behalf saying that since they have additional negatives , they’ll try to do something and things clicked finally. Kaka was the happiest person. Kaka had tremendous adoration for Rajiv and Sonia Gandhi and since this picture was the last one with Kaka after Rajiv’s assassination, it was indeed extremely significant for him. Kaka adorned this picture in full size with golden broad border at the main entrance of Ashirvad as well as in his drawing room with flamboyance. Kaka was so much principled and had respect for Rajiv, Sonia Gandhi and the Congress that despite Congress party and Gandhi family not giving him Rajya Sabha despite Kaka extensively campaigning for its candidates for several years after losing from New Delhi , he refused the Rajyasabha offer by the then UP CM Mulayam Singh Yadav. Long live Kaka.