In 1965, Rajesh Khanna won a prestigious Talent Contest and was signed for a 12-film deal by United Producers, which included G P Sippy, Shakti Samanta and B R Chopra. One of those films was Aradhana—ironically, the very project that would turn him into a phenomenon Hindi cinema had never witnessed before.But Rajesh Khanna wasn’t convinced. Believing the film leaned heavily towards the female protagonist, he reportedly asked producer-director Shakti Samanta, “Main kya karunga?”
‘He was not willing to do the film’
Revisiting the making of Aradhana in a recent interview with Radio Nasha, Shakti Samanta’s son Ashim Samanta revealed that the film came together almost by chance.“Dad was supposed to make a film with Shammi Kapoor, but he had gained weight and asked for six months. At that time, my dad decided to make a new film,” Ashim recalled, adding that Rajesh Khanna was already under contract with United Producers.He shared, “Sachin Bhowmik had narrated the story of Aradhana to my father almost a decade earlier. The fact that he still remembered the story made him feel it was good.”Explaining how Rajesh Khanna was finalised, Ashim said, “My dad called Nasir Husain, who was making Baharon Ke Sapne, and asked if he could show one reel. When he watched it, he liked Rajesh Khanna and signed him.”However, the actor remained unconvinced. “When Rajesh Khanna heard the story, he said it was heroine-oriented. ‘Main kya karunga?’ Dad told him, ‘You do this, it will become a hit.’ He was not willing to do the film. He did it only because he was bound by United Producers. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have.”
From indifference to stardom—within one screening
Ashim Samanta vividly recalled witnessing Rajesh Khanna’s overnight transformation during Aradhana’s premiere in Delhi.“We went for the charity premiere in Delhi. Jagjivan Ram was the chief guest. Rajesh Khanna was a newcomer—nobody was interested in him. People were only interested in Sharmila Tagore and the songs.”Then came the turning point.“By interval, they had all become fans. And by the time the film ended, Rajesh Khanna had already become a star. The entire crowd surrounded him, asking for autographs.”
When Sharmila Tagore pulled out at the last minute
The film almost ran into trouble during the shooting of Mere Sapno Ki Rani. Ashim revealed that Sharmila Tagore cancelled the shoot at the last minute.“She said she had been called by Satyajit Ray and couldn’t say no. Dad got really angry but couldn’t do anything,” he said, adding that Shakti Samanta went ahead and shot most of the song with Rajesh Khanna and Sujit Kumar.“They later built a compartment set outdoors and shot Sharmila’s close-ups separately.”
‘I just said yes without thinking’
Sharmila Tagore later addressed the incident while speaking to The Hollywood Reporter.“He said, ‘Will you work in my film? I need you for one month in May.’ Without thinking, I said yes. Then I realised I was already committed to Shakti Samanta for Mere Sapno Ki Rani that same month.”She explained the pressure surrounding Rajesh Khanna’s dates, saying, “Rajesh Khanna had won a talent contest and was indebted to 12 producers. His dates were very precious.”“I negotiated somehow, finished work with Satyajit Ray and then went back to the other film,” she added. What began with hesitation, creative compromises and near-misses ultimately resulted in Aradhana—the film that didn’t just make Rajesh Khanna a star, but rewrote the very idea of stardom in Hindi cinema.
