Ta ta, Kaka

Mahesh Bhatt's 'The Star Who Died Twice' (Cinema, July 21) truly touched the soul. An era has indeed ended. I was a kid when Rajesh Khanna was a matinee star and only slowly understood what a phenomenon he was in his heyday. The hero who epitomised the philosophy that love is life through his movies was the darling of young girls, who swooned and went crazy for his style and aura. His tumultuous personal life was also of great interest to everyone. Life for him was perhaps a song of both laughter and woe. We must bid tearful adieu to a star who defined stardom. May he rest in peace.


Nawal Thorat, via email

Big B in my bonnet

In his four-decade career Rajesh Khanna appeared in about 163 films, of which 106 had him as the solo lead, which is amazing. Younger generations never understood the 'Kaka' phenomenon, or the frenzy he sparked among the youth and the masses in the 1970s. And I must beg to differ with Mahesh Bhatt (' The Star Who Died Twice, ' July 21) when he says that Amitabh Bachchan's success in Deewar and Zanjeer led to a drop in Kaka's popularity. The mass adulation that Khanna received was unheard of and unseen since, not even by the likes of the 'angry young man. ' His passing is indeed a profound loss.


Bidyut Chatterjee, via email

Lonely at the drop

Mahesh Bhatt, in his inimitable and singularly forthright manner (' The Star Who Died Twice, ' Cinema, July 21) has managed to delve deep into the real persona of someone who was at the end a crumpled and crushed superstar, and in such a touching manner. Brushing aside at times the veil from even the darker areas of the star's life, Bhatt shows that he truly felt for the man who once was the Rajesh Khanna. Insecure, scared and lonely, even when he ruled Bollywood, Kaka was such an interesting star. And he 'played' god because we made him one. His loss makes one feel like a close friend has suddenly gone.


Romi Mittal, via email