In this era, it is rare that you haven’t heard “Maar Diya Jaaye Ya Chhod Diya Jaaye, Bol Tere Saath Kya Sulook Kiya Jaaye?”
A name that appeared in the 20th century and ruled even the 21st century with charm, beauty, and skill, Vinod Khanna was a legendary actor, director, film producer, and politician.
He is known for his contribution to the Indian Film Industry. He also served as the Culture and Tourism Minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Cabinet.
Vinod Khanna was one of the highest-paid artists of his time. He was born in Peshawar on October 6, 1946. The actor made his debut in the industry with a supporting role in 1968 in the movie Mere Apne; he also played the character of the villain in the hit movie Mera Gaon Mera Desh.
Vinod Khanna is known for his acting in the movies like Inkaar, Khoon Pasina, Amar Akhbar Anthony, Gaddaar, Jurm, and many more. Everything was going fine, but when the career of the actor was at its peak, he decided to quit the film industry in 1982. But after a time period of 5 years, he made his comeback with two superhit films Satyamev Jayate and Insaaf, back to back.
Vinod Khanna came to Bombay after the partition of India and Pakistan. Vinod completed his studies in Mumbai and Delhi. After his graduation, Vinod Khanna made his debut with Sunil Dutta in the movie Man Ka Meet in 1968. He was an actor who lived every character and ruled the hearts of the audience with his charm. He has given many blockbusters in the Indian Film Industry and has left his mark which will never fade.
In 1977, Vinod Khanna shared the screen with actor Amitabh Bachchan in the movie Muqaddar ka Sikandar, and Amar Akbar Anthony, which turned out to be the highest-grossing film of that year. Vinod Khanna also appeared in several multi-starrer movies. A period came when he left the industry to follow his spiritual teacher Osho, and he made his comeback with Dimple Kapadia in the movie Insaaf in the year 1987.
The actor did not limit himself to the Film Industry; in the year 1997, he entered into politics and joined the Bhartiya Janta Party. From there, he was elected from Gurdaspur and later in Lok Sabha Poll. Soon, in Atal Bihari Bajpayee’s Cabinet, he served as the Union Culture and Tourism Minister in 2002. Six months later, he got the opportunity to work as the Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs.
Vinod Khanna is a legend who spread his magic in the film industry and set a level of acting for others. He was awarded the most prestigious award of the Indian Film Industry, that is, the Dada Saheb Phalke Award in 2017, for his huge contribution to the industry. Vinod Khanna left the world on 27th April 2017, and after his death, it was revealed that the actor had been fighting advanced bladder cancer; the news of his sickness was already in the talks but the family declined to keep some privacy as it was a family matter.
The actor was nominated for Best Actor for the film Qurbani in 1981, and won his first Filmfare Award for the film “Haath Ki Safai”; he also received “Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award” in 1999, “Stardust Award” for Role Model of the Year in 2005, “Zee Cine Award” for Lifetime Achievement in 2005, for his extraordinary performances.
Though he became a politician in his later life, he died with the identity of an actor. Vinod Khanna left his legacy as an inspiration for the coming generations, and the Indian Cinema is incomplete without his name and his dialogue “Maar Diya Jaaye Ya Chhod Diya Jaaye, Bol Tere Saath Kya Sulook Kiya Jaaye?”
