20 July,2015 08:02 AM IST | | PTI
R Balki was the last one to direct Rajesh Khanna in a TV commercial just few months before his death and the director said the superstar wanted to work with him in a film.
R Balki and Rajesh Khanna
R Balki was the last one to direct Rajesh Khanna in a TV commercial just few months before his death and the director said the superstar wanted to work with him in a film.
R Balki and Rajesh Khanna
"When the concept of the ad on fan happened, I was clear in my mind that it had to be Rajesh Khanna. I saw all his films during that time to know more about his gestures and I was absolutely hypnotised by this man... "We met on the sets and Rajesh Khanna said 'I want to work with you. Why don't you write something for me?'," Balki said in an even last evening that paid an ode to the Indian cinema's first superstar on his third death anniversary.
Balki revealed that as a teenager he was never a fan of the "Aradhana" star unlike his friends.
"I was never a fan of Rajesh Khanna. I never grew up watching his films. I was an Amitabh Bachchan fan... But I used to find him (Khanna) an incredibly handsome guy," he said.
Despite being a huge star, Khanna did not mind making fun of his stardom, said Balki, whose ad revolved around the fact that "Prem Nagar" lost his fan following after '60s and '70s.
Khanna's health deteriorated after the commercial and he became bed-ridden. He passed away on July 18 at the age of 69.
