Asha Parekh shares the story behind Rajesh Khanna's famous 'Babu Moshay' catchphrase
Mumbai, June 2
Veteran star Asha Parekh, in a special episode of music reality show Indian Idol, made a surprising revelation about legendary actor Rajesh Khanna, leaving all surprised.
Post the performance of contestant Diwakar Chobey on Khanna's 'Kahin Door Jab Din Dhal Jaye', Asha Parekh shared an interesting anecdote about Rajesh Khanna's iconic term "Babu Moshai" and revealed how it became associated with the legendary actor.
Sharing the story, Asha Parekh said, "Pehela joh gana gaya tha na Rajesh Khanna ka apko pata hai Rajesh Khana joh Babu Moshay jo bolte the ye kaha se aya hain bangali word hain."
(The song that was just performed reminded me of Rajesh Khanna. Do you know where his famous 'Babu Moshai' came from? It is actually a Bengali word.)
She added, "Toh Raj Kapoor ji Hrishi da ko Babu Moshay bulate the." (Raj Kapoor Ji used to call Hrishikesh Mukherjee 'Babu Moshay')
"Toh isliye Hrishi da ne ye naam Babu Moshay Rajesh Khana ji ko diya hain." (That is why Hrishikesh Mukherjee gave the term 'Babu Moshai' to Rajesh Khanna Ji.)
"Jb vo bolte the, 'Babu Moshay' sare ladkiya behosh ho jate the." (And whenever he would say 'Babu Moshai,' all the girls would go crazy for him.)
Talking about Rajesh Khanna and the iconic word Babu Moshay, it was a part of the superstars cult classic movie 'Anand'.
The movie was directed by Rishikesh Mukherjee and starred Rajesh Khanna in the lead and Amitabh Bachchan in an important supporting role.
The movie even after five decades of his release still considered to be a film with one of the most iconic and emotional plots.
Rajesh Khanna was known as the first ever superstar of Bollywood. He went on to be a part of many blockbuster movies like 'Haathi Mera Saathi', 'Amar Prem', 'Aradhana' and many more.
— IANS
Reader Comments
What a fascinating connection between Raj Kapoor, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, and Rajesh Khanna! It's amazing how small things like a nickname become iconic. Anand remains one of my all-time favorite films - that scene where he says 'Babu Moshai' still gives me goosebumps.
This is so cool! I always thought 'Babu Moshay' was just something Rajesh Khanna made up. Learning it came from Bengali and was passed down from Raj Kapoor to Hrishida makes it even more special. Indian cinema history is full of such gems.
As a Bengali, I'm thrilled to know 'Babu Moshai' came from our language! Rajesh Khanna truly made it his own though. But honestly, we should also appreciate Hrishikesh Mukherjee for giving him that term - it became a character trait that defined Anand so beautifully.
I grew up watching Rajesh Khanna movies with my grandmother in the US, and 'Babu Moshay' was always our favorite line. Asha Parekh's anecdote makes me want to watch Anand again tonight. Some things never get old. 😌
Nostalgic piece, but I wish the article had also mentioned how Rajesh Khanna's style influenced modern actors. His 'Babu Moshay' wasn't just a word - it was an attitude. Still, great to see Indian Idol bringing such history to the younger generation.
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