Rajesh Khanna always wanted to keep media in good humour during elections from New Delhi

The significant memories are always to cherish and being the honorary media advisor of the first and original super star of Bollywood Rajesh Khanna aka Kaka in Delhi, I think I should pen down some of my memories, though I know that some may take them as incidents ( memories) of no relevance but majority of his fans may love to feel enchanted by going through these anecdotes.

After all, legends are known to be remembered as their curious fans love to read their icons’ good deeds and happenings taking place during their life times.

Kaka was however, very special for not only being an outstanding first and charming film personality with a term superstar coined for the very first time during seventies when he gave 10 to 15 super duper hit back to back movies due to his outstanding style and histrionics but also created a frenzy among his millions of fans especially college going girls colouring his white Impala into pink by abundant kisses and what not.

Being Kaka’s media advisor I had certain responsibilities to follow, though professionally I wasn’t bound to adhere to, being his honorary media advisor, but being his ardent fan as well, getting an opportunity to serve him on my own after being given this onerous responsibility it was my bounden duty to prove my mettle.

It was indeed a challenge being his media advisor.

I fondly remember, Kaka relying on me immensely, to generate media publicity for him, though he never gave the impression that he really bothered for seeking publicity, already a popular Bollywood figure.

Kaka was in a real jubilant mode when I okayed his request to manage his media coordination at 15 Canning Lane, his first election office with noise of supporters n Congress leaders rushing there to meet him and seek time for Kaka’s presence in their programmes as the Congress candidate and his two Mumbai friends Stewan Fernandiz and Acha Anand not able to cope with the situation, getting badly puzzled, never having confronted such a situation, earlier.

The reporters of the various newspapers were annoyed as there wasn’t anyone to attend them who were desperate to interview Kaka having been given the assignment by their respective chief reporters to interview him and follow him in various mass contact programmes.

Kaka was worried that if the media is annoyed, he may suffer, hence his request to me to take on the responsibility to cordinate with journalists covering his beat.

Kaka was then with Rajiv Shukla and Bharat Upmanyu at Canning lane office, the day in 1991 when he requested me to oblige him saying with folded hands : Negi, please manage the media. The situation is in total mess. I had no option but to agree making Kaka happy and satisfied.

Kaka had by then arranged another Bunglow to meet the media everyday either on one to one basis or together, not to be mixed with political workers.

It was during 1991 and the place was Lodi estate, a bungalow of one Maharashtra MP, some Bhonsle.

It was from here that Kaka used to meet the journalists and interact with them including giving interviews and also taking a nap after lunch during afternoons after hectic campaigning and to again proceed for evening programmes to late night.

Kaka had requested the then councillor from Minto Road Ramesh Dutta to arrange two portable type writers Hindi and English so that I can carry on my media activities and arrange daily press releases etc of Kaka”s daily programmes like padyatras, corner n public meetings and interaction with electorates. A fax machines was also fitted to send the daily press releases.

I was arranged a white ambassador exclusively with a driver at my disposal for full time till election. My office was a Lodhi estate bungalow, from where I used to contact media men to arrange one to one interviews with Kaka.

Journalists many of them his fans as well from the regional as well as national news papers including foreign media correspondents, especially from TV channels used to interview KAKA. During those days except few Indian channels there wasn’t rush of Indian electronic channel TV crew covering him except foreign TV news channels.

Though Rajesh Khanna was least interested to meet the foreign correspondents thinking that they are of least significance as Indian audience would never watch them and therefore of no significance, but due to my insistence he would attend them and give interviews.

I remember, during afternoon when Kaka after extensive padyatras and campaigning came to relax at Lodhi Estate Bungalow, had lunch and then attend the journalists sitting in his drawing room, sometimes unwillingly, without being briefed what to talk to them, he being a political novice. I used to brief him on local issues and would then answer their questions with immense dexterity, satisfying one and all.

During 1992 Babri Masjid demolition issue was the national issue also, one of the talking points in New Delhi election when Kaka contested against Shatrughan Sinha, blaming BJP as the party with communal background leading to sectarian politics and a party that makes brother fight against brother on religious lines etc.

There were times, when I used to arrange informal press conferences also, the one being very crowded when Dimple, Twinkle and Rinki joined him for campaigning from New Delhi and Kaka getting thrilled seeing such a large number if media men n photo journalists covering m interviewing him n star family.

While briefing Kaka and preparing a detailed note for media I used to sometime seek advise of some senior journalist friends and elders to give some important points which would help me prepare a press release on issues of relevance.

I fondly remember, once a senior professor of JNU and renowned author Pushpesh Pant on advise of somebody came to this Lodi Estate Bungalow to advise Rajesh Khanna with an important note, but despite his long wait, his meeting couldn’t materialise and he went back without meeting Kaka. However, I realised this blunder of not able to arrange his meeting with Kaka later on.

The one to one interviews of Rajesh Khanna with the media men, reporters, correspondents and even editors of regional and national dailies were the order of the day with almost every journalist interacting with their superstar, this being an important fight between a superstar turned politician and a BJP heavy weight LK Advani, first and then against Shatrughan Sinha, a fight between a hero and a villain of silver screen.

Though Kaka wasn’t very much comfortable with responding to media questions during the interviews but despite being a political novice, initially , he did managed answering to media questions with dexterity.

However, meeting and talking with the first and original superstar conveniently in a harmonious environment with Kaka trying to keep them in good humour, the journalists used to be happy and satisfied.

Moreover, my daily handouts of Kaka’s political engagements did helped them getting the the necessary feed back they used to wait for coverage, desperately.

After all the New Delhi parliamentary election, first against BJP’s political heavy weight Lal Krishna Advani and then against Shatrughan Sinha was of great significance that worked as a major instrument to raise the circulation of the newspapers in Delhi and at pan India level, the election of New Delhi parliament constituency being a nucleus of immense interest and attention among the electorates of New Delhi as well and the common public of the national capital territory who want to see see their superstar of yesteryear winning at the hustings.

Some of the journalists interviewing Kaka for their newspapers n covering his meetings during 1991 n 1993 were Pankaj Vohra from TOI n thereafter HT as metro editor, Arti Bhargawa from HT, Gargi Parsai and Vinay Kumar from The Hindu, Sumit Mishra and Premanshu Shekhar from Jansatta, Dr. Kailash Papnai, Deena Nath Rai from HT Hindi and Veerendra Prabhakar, SN Sinha n Saxena, photojournalists from HT Hindi n English, Vibhavaasu Tiwari, Pawan Bansal from Nav Bharat Times, Satsoniji and Nepali from Sandhya Times, Vijay Simha from The Pioneer, Sanjay Kaw from Statesman, Gyanendra Pandey n Narendra Bhalla from Sunday Mail, Sr syndicated journalist Sunil Sethi photo journalist Praveen Jain of Indian Express, Kamaljeet Singh, Nav Bharat Times etc.

There were occassions when Kaka invited his few journalist friends at shooting locations as well. Punkaj Vohra, one of Kaka’s close friend, then the metro editor of HT was invited at the shooting of AA AB LAUT CHALEN, in which Kaka played the role of an NRI father directed n produced by Randhir n Rishi Kapoor. Kaka being busy in elections couldn’t go abroad ( US) to play the role of the NRI father.

Hence the location was arranged at a multistory building of the Nandas’ opposite Park Hotel in New Delhi giving it the look of an American office cum residence of Kaka.

The shot was of few minutes with Kaka interacting with Akshay Khanna, his son, in the movie, inside the luxurious office shown as a US home cum office. I was also there with Kaka wearing brand new shoes, suit giving his look of an NRI rich businesman.

When the then senior journalist of AAP Ki Adalat fame completed the fiftieth episode, he wanted Rajesh Khanna MP on his show. Kaka was initially reluctant to face the trivial questions of ” AAP KI ADALAT” At Noida studio, but was convinced by Rajat Sharma after great efforts briefing him quite in advance about the questions to be posed to him, with Kaka preparing himself adequately. This fiftieth episode was a grand success as the superstar turned MP faced Rajat Sharma’ s questions with immense confidence and responding them with quite an ease. The editor of Dainik Hindustan Mrinal Pandey was the judge of the show who too enjoyed the superstar of yesteryear’s dialogues and answers with rapt attention. I too accompanied Kaka to this show, being one of the audience.

I can’t forget how a young journalist of statesman Sanjay Kaw had in 1993 interviewed Rajesh Khanna at 2.00 AM at his, Vasant Kunj house despite various odds trailing Kaka till his Vasant Kunj house surrounded by crowds n security.

There were occassions when Kaka watching me working for him dedicatedly would take lunch with me and thereafter relax having a nap for half an hour or so during afternoon in this Lodi estate bungalow after coming from campaigning tired asking me as well to have rest discussing few things in a jolly mood.

These anecdotes are worth memorising as these invaluable memories of a first superstar of Bollywood turned politician who created immense frenzy among his die hard fans, die hardly.