Kamal Ghorui
Veteran actor Moushumi Chatterjee has shared screen space with Rajesh Khanna in movies like ‘Anuraag’, ‘Prem Bandhan’ and ‘Bhola Bhala’ and in a recent interview, she has opened up on the experience of working with the actor. Many of Khanna’s co-stars and directors in the past have spoken about his starry tantrums and how he was always late. Moushumi also has something similar to say. Moushumi candidly spoke about Rajesh Khanna’s personality and the impact of his superstardom. “He was a spoilt brat. His success was always in his head,” she said in an interview with NDTV while recalling the actor’s immense popularity during the peak of his career. As Rajesh Khanna’s stardom gradually declined during the rise of Amitabh Bachchan, he was often associated with loneliness, frustration and personal struggles, including alcoholism. When asked if she ever sensed that loneliness in him, Moushumi responded philosophically.“No, it is all karma. The way you design your life, and the way you pretend to be what you are not, and the way you respond to all relationships,” she said.The actor further reflected on solitude and emotional emptiness, saying, “If you say everybody is alone, you should know how to enjoy your alone time. Don’t feel lonely. I enjoy being alone. And I see that kind of vacuum; everybody goes through it in life. Take Kishore Kumar, Madhubala, they all went through it. Whatever is happening, it’s all part of your life. It is not your entire life.”Discussing the culture of hierarchy and power in the film industry during those years, Moushumi remarked, “Whoever was at the top felt whatever they said had to be obeyed. It was always there. Everybody who rules feels they can rule everything.”In an earlier interview with Lehren Retro, Moushumi had also shared some lesser-known anecdotes about her rapport with Rajesh Khanna. Recalling one uncomfortable incident, she claimed that the actor once questioned the paternity of her daughter and asked whether her husband Jayanta Mukherjee or actor Vinod Mehra was the father.“Rajesh Khanna played dirty many times. Today, he is no more. I went to see him also in his last stage. He was praising me in front of my younger daughter. He said to her, ‘Your maa was mad but we were all scared of her. She doesn’t believe in any nonsense’,” Moushumi recalled.Speaking further about the remark Rajesh Khanna had allegedly made to her, she revealed that she gave him a sharp response in return.“Yes, I gave him back. I asked him, ‘Is it Rishi Kapoor’s child or yours?” she said, referring to Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia’s daughters. According to Moushumi, her reply left the superstar speechless.
