How Rajesh Khanna won the Filmfare Talent Hunt contest?

If there has been a film star, who has generated mass hysteria more fanatic than the kind of by Mega star Amitabh Bachchan or Rajinikanth draws down South than he was Rajesh Khanna, for whom the media had specially invented the term ‘Superstar’! December 29, marks the birth anniversary of the legendary superstar; Raaga.Com remembers him and reveal how the actor won the Filmfare Talent Hunt contest and dazzled the silver screen

Rajesh Khanna’s entry into cinema is as interesting story as his successes legend that made the nation crazy. Before entering cinema, Rajesh Khanna was a stage actor and desperately aspired to become a film actor but had no godfather in film industry. However he got the golden opportunity when he filled the Filmfare Talent Hunt contest published in Times of India newspaper. This contest was called United Producers All India talent hunt. It was launched in 1959. It was headed by a group of renowned Bollywood film producers who selected one male and one female artist through the contest and then introduced them into films.

Rajesh Khanna was one of the lucky winners in the 1965 Contest when he reached the finals and impressed the judges that included famous filmmakers like Bimal Roy, Guru Dutt, Yash Chopra, etc.

Recalling his final selection day at the Contest, Rajesh Khanna in an interview said, “I was given a dialogue to narrate for my final selection process. But I was confused. Hence when I entered the selection room and found many top notch filmmakers seated to judge my performance I was bit nervous.”

He added, “However I gathered strength and told the judges that the dialogue provided by the contest is good but I have not been informed about the characterization of the person who is going to say this dialogue? Hearing my query, one of the judges asked me whether I was a stage actor. I replied in positivity. They were impressed and they asked me to perform any role of my choice.”

“Luckily I remembered a sentimental dialogue from one of my play that I had enacted. I performed and the judges gave me a thunderous applause and rest is history!” concluded Khanna.