Amitabh Bachchan and Rajesh Khanna

Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan

Yesterday night, Amitabh Bachchan - who did one of his first films with Rajesh Khanna, Anand - wrote a blog talking about the relationship he shared with the superstar. In the post, he talks about going to Rajesh Khanna’s house, Aashirwad, to pay his respects, when someone close to the family came up to him and told him what Rajesh Khanna’s last words were.

Rajesh Khanna’s last words: “Time ho gaya hai. Pack up!”

He lived for his films – we already told you that he wanted to organize a screening of them – so it somehow seems fitting that that’s what he equated his life with: a film.

Amitabh Bachchan and Rajesh Khanna

Amitabh Bachchan also recounted the first time he went to Aashirwad to visit Rajesh Khanna:

Amitabh Bachchan says: “I visited his residence ‘Aashirwad’ just once when we were working together, to wish him on his birthday, only to realize when I reached their, that I had come in a day earlier. He was magnanimous enough to understand my awkwardness and asked me to stay back. The next day on his birthday he hosted me again.”

He even talks about that iconic scene in Anand, during the death of Rajesh Khanna’s character:

“When the shooting of ‘Anand’ began, the one moment that always worried me was, that last scene when I break down after his death and urge him emotionally to speak! Not being able to find a method in my own very limited acting experience, I sought the help of Mehmood Bhai. And I still remember what he told me - He said, “just think Amitabh, R-a-j-e-s-h K-h-a-n-n-a is dead!! And you will get everything right.” It was not so much a tutorial in acting that he expounded. It was an exalted acknowledgement of Rajesh Khanna’s presence and position in the psyche of the nation, that he was drawing my attention to.”

More on Big B’s blog here.