Rahul Khanna expresses pride over dad Vinod Khanna’s Dadasaheb Phalke honour

The late Vinod Khanna was honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke award at Friday’s National Film Awards ceremony, and his son, actor Rahul Khanna, took to Twitter to share his thoughts.

bollywood Updated: Apr 13, 2018 17:46 IST
Rahul Khanna recently played a supporting role in The Americans.

Rahul Khanna on Friday expressed his joy at his late father Vinod Khanna winning the Dadasaheb Phalke award at the National Film Awards, announced to honour the best in Indian cinema. “So proud to hear that my dad has been posthumously awarded India’s highest honour in cinema, the #DadasahebPhalkeAward at the #NationalFilmAwards!” Rahul wrote on Twitter.

He continued, “As we approach his first death anniversary, it’s such a lovely way to celebrate his life and work because, at his core, he wasn’t just an actor but also a lifelong film fan! “

Khanna is the 49th recipient of Dadasaheb Phalke Award. The actor died on April 27, 2017 at the age of 70 after battling cancer.

One of the most handsome stars ever to grace the Indian cinema screens, Khanna started off as an antagonist and went on to grow as a performer into the main lead from a supporting actor, after a string of films such as Purab Aur Paschim, Aan Milo Sajna, Sachaa Jhutha and Mera Gaon Mera Desh.

The actor had a very successful pairing with Amitabh Bachchan. They worked together in blockbusters such as Amar Akbar Anthony, Parvarish, Reshma Aur Shera, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Zameer, Hera Pheri and Khoon Paseena.

He made his Bollywood debut in 1968 film Mann Ka Meet, which was produced by Sunil Dutt, who was reportedly struck by Khanna’s good looks.

The actor’s real life was as dramatic as his cinematic career. He shocked fans by abandoning his fame to don orange robes to follow Osho Rajneesh to Oregon (US) in 1982.

Khanna, however, returned to cinema five years later and it did not take him long to reclaim his position in the industry. A string of hits followed including Insaaf and Dayavan.

The actor, who was born in a Punjabi family of textile merchants in Peshawar in 1946, chose Punjab to make his political debut in 1997 when he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

He fought and won from Gurdaspur in Punjab, a seat that he lost only once in 2009 but won again in the 2014 general elections.

In 2002, Atal Bihari Vajpayee made him his Culture and Tourism minister. He was later given the External Affairs portfolio.

Khanna was active in Bollywood till the very end. His last few memorable screen outings were in Salman Khan’s Dabangg series and Shah Rukh Khan’s Dilwale in 2015.

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