Rajesh Khanna’s ‘Arrogance’ Contributed To His Downfall, Claims Tej Sapru; Has THIS To Say About Late Superstar

Tej Sapru has recalled an incident involving Rajesh Khanna, saying the superstar once abused him without reason. Sapru also spoke about Khanna’s generosity and shared his views on the actor’s career downfall

Veteran actor Tej Sapru recently opened up about his experience of working with Rajesh Khanna. Speaking on The Rediff Podcast, Sapru recalled an unexpected incident in which the legendary actor allegedly abused him while they were working together.

Sapru said Rajesh Khanna had developed a certain level of arrogance during the peak of his career. However, he also pointed out that the people around a successful star can sometimes contribute to such behaviour.

Despite this, Sapru described Khanna as one of the most generous people he had ever known.

Recalling the incident, Sapru said he suddenly heard someone abusing him from behind while they were working together. When he turned around, he realised it was Rajesh Khanna, whom he respectfully referred to as Kaka ji.

Sapru explained that he had always maintained great respect for Khanna, particularly because the actor's first film was with his father, veteran actor D.K. Sapru.

Rajesh Khanna Later Tried To Mend Things

Sapru said that his respect for senior actors was deeply rooted in his upbringing. He recalled that he would never sit down until an actor senior to him or someone who had worked with his father was seated.

Because of the respect he had shown Khanna, Sapru admitted that he was particularly hurt when the actor abused him without any apparent reason.

However, the situation did not remain tense for long. According to Sapru, Khanna later approached him and tried to brush aside the incident.

Sapru recalled Khanna calling him a "tall boy" and asking him to forget what had happened. Sapru told him that he had been hurt because Khanna had abused him despite previously saying that they were only having fun.

Khanna reportedly responded by asking him to let the matter go and invited him to his hotel. Sapru said that he eventually spent the entire night with the superstar, suggesting that the disagreement was resolved between them.

Tej Sapru Links Rajesh Khanna’s Downfall To Arrogance

While discussing Rajesh Khanna's career, Sapru also shared his personal opinion about what contributed to the superstar's decline.

According to the veteran actor, Khanna's downfall began earlier because of his arrogance, especially when compared with contemporaries such as Dharmendra and Jeetendra.

Rajesh Khanna's rise to superstardom was unprecedented. During his peak in the early 1970s, he delivered a remarkable run of successful films and became widely regarded as Hindi cinema's first superstar.

His popularity extended far beyond the box office. Fans would gather outside theatres to catch a glimpse of him, send him thousands of letters and, in some cases, even name their children after him.

However, his extraordinary run at the top eventually came to an end. Khanna spent several years trying to regain the level of stardom he had enjoyed during his peak.

Rajesh Khanna died in 2012 at the age of 69. His career remains one of the most fascinating stories in Hindi cinema, marked by an extraordinary rise, unprecedented fan following and a dramatic decline from superstardom.