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Key Points

Poonam Dhillon fondly remembers working with Rajesh Khanna, calling him a protective mentor rather than the temperamental star he was rumored to be. She credits Khanna for guiding her through challenging scenes in 'Red Rose,' where she played a saleswoman opposite his psychopath role. The two later collaborated in multiple films, with Dhillon cherishing his fatherly guidance. Her revelations offer a fresh perspective on the late superstar's off-screen persona.

Key Points: Poonam Dhillon Recalls Rajesh Khanna's Protective Guidance in Films

  • Poonam Dhillon debunks Rajesh Khanna's 'temperamental' reputation
  • Khanna guided her in 'Red Rose' psychopath role
  • Their bond extended to multiple films like 'Dard' and 'Nishaan'
  • Dhillon credits Khanna as a protective mentor in Bollywood
3 min read

He always treated me like a kid: Poonam Dhillon recalls her working experience with Rajesh Khanna

Poonam Dhillon shares how Rajesh Khanna mentored her in 'Red Rose' and other films, debunking myths about his temperamental behavior.

"He always treated me like a kid, protective and a guide – Poonam Dhillon on Rajesh Khanna"

Mumbai, June 30

Bollywood actor and politician Poonam Dhillon, who shared the screen space with several legendary stars during her heyday in the film industry, including Rajesh Khanna, recalled that she never faced the infamous "temperament" of the late superstar.

Dhillon debuted in the Hindi film industry with the film 'Trishul' in 1978. It starred Amitabh Bachchan, Sashi Kapoor and Sanjeev Kumar in the lead roles. Following the success of this film, along with 'Noorie' the next year, the actress received the opportunity to share the screen with the superstar of the time, Rajesh Khanna, in the film 'Red Rose'.

In an interview with ANI, the actress recalled her first project with Rajesh Khanna, affectionately known as 'Kaka' and admitted that she was initially warned about the actor's "temperament" and his "starry behaviour".

However, Dhillon's experience with Rajesh Khanna narrates a different story.

"By the time I had done my second, third film, people were warning me that he's (Rajesh Khanna) very temperamental, he can get very difficult to work with. But honestly, I didn't face even one day of any temperamental, starry behaviour from him," said Poonam Dhillon.

Dhillon played the role of a saleswoman, while Rajesh Khanna portrayed a psychopath in the film. Calling it one of the most challenging roles for her as an inexperienced actor at the time, the 'Noorie' actress revealed that Rajesh Khanna guided her in some scene of the movie.

"My first film (with Rajesh Khanna), 'Red Rose', was a very difficult role for an inexperienced actor. And, you know, like having a psycho type of Serial killer, schizophrenic kind of a person. He would help me. He would guide me. He would say, do this. Do this breathing. I will push you like this. You fall into the frame like this. Then look like this. He would give me a little bit of guidance on how to do scenes," said Poonam Dhillon.

After the success of the movie, the duo starred together in multiple films, including 'Dard', 'Nishaan', 'Zamana', and 'Awam'. Dhillon called Rajesh Khanna a "protective" figure for her in the film industry while he was alive.

"After that, of course, I did many other films with him. But we've always had a very, I wouldn't say he was a buddy or a friend because he was so much senior to me. But he was always, I think, because he saw me from a young age, he always treated me like a kid, protective and a guide," said Poonam Dhillon.

Apart from creating a name for herself on the big screen, the actress also made a mark on TV and was seen as a contestant on Season 3 of 'Bigg Boss' aired in 2009.

The veteran actor played the lead role in the serial 'Ekk Nayi Pehchaan' in 2013.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Red Rose was such an underrated film! Kaka's performance as a psychopath was brilliant. Good to know he helped newcomers despite his superstar status. Those were the days when stars had real talent, not just social media followers.
A
Aman W
Interesting perspective but I feel we're romanticizing the past too much. Many other co-stars have spoken about Khanna's difficult behavior. Maybe Poonam ji was just lucky or perhaps she's being diplomatic given he's no longer with us.
N
Nisha Z
My mother used to tell me how Rajesh Khanna was her first crush! 😍 This article makes me want to watch all his old films now. The golden era of Bollywood had such class and grace that's missing today.
K
Karthik V
Poonam Dhillon was such a natural beauty in her prime. No plastic surgery, no filters - just pure talent and charm. We need more articles like this that highlight the human side of our film legends.
P
Priya S
The industry has changed so much! Today's stars have teams of acting coaches but back then, senior actors themselves would guide newcomers. Shows how much passion they had for cinema as an art form.

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