Vinod Khanna

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into an extrovert. St Xavier School is known for many cultural activities. It was during one of the drama acts young Vinod Khanna’s teacher asked him to take part in the play. But a shy Vinod Khanna refused but the art teacher was strict and forced him to act. When young Vinod Khanna faced the crowd his coyness evaporated the movement the crowd welcomed the charming Vinod Khanna with thundering claps and whistles. He was so excited that he gave his best shot and he went on to win the best actor award in his school play! Vinod Khanna caught the bug of acting after watching Mughal-e-Azam In the early 60’s Vinod Khanna’s father shifted back to Mumbai after a short stint of stay in Delhi. Back in Mumbai, he found Vinod Khanna’s education getting affected hence he sent him to boarding school in Deolali. It was here he began watching a movie and saw Dilip Kumar and Madhubla's love story Mughal- -e -Azam. He was left dazed by the magnificent film and the bug of becoming an actor caught film. After completing his graduation in Commerce from Sydenham College, Delhi, Vinod Khanna decided to make a career in films. His father protested and urged him to join the family business but Vinod Khanna rebelled. Finally, the mother intervened in the father and son’s tussle and it was decided that Vinod Khanna would get two years to try his luck in Bollywood and if fails to make a career, he would return and join the family business.

Sunil Dutt introduced Vinod Khanna In a party in Mumbai, actor Sunil Dutt happened to meet Vinod Khanna Sunil Dutt was floored by Vinod Khanna’s dashing personality and when Vinod Khanna informed him that he hailed from Peshwar suddenly Sunil Dutt developed an emotional attachment with Vinod Khanna as Sunil Dutt too hailed from Peshwar. Both became instant friends and Sunil Dutt gave a pivotal role to Vinod Khanna, in his film Man Ka Meet (1968), a film Sunil Dutt had made to launch his young brother Sonu Dutt. Though the film was not very successful Vinod Khanna won rave reviews and was flooded with offers. Vinod Khanna in an interview informed, “Within a fortnight of the film’s release I had signed 15 films. I did not bother whether I was playing a villain or a supporting actor. I signed films wantonly as I had to prove to my father that I had made it big in Bollywood!” Vinod Khanna became the most handsome Villain Vinod Khanna won instant success in negative roles. After the success of Aan Milo Sajna as a leading villain opposite Rajesh Khanna and in Rakhwala opposite Dharmendra, top filmmakers began signing him as the lead villain. One among them was Raj Khosla, who signed Vinod Khanna to play a dreaded dacoit in his film Mera Gaon Mera Desh (1971). The movie was a huge hit and soon Vinod Khanna became popular as the most handsome villains. Vinod Khanna becomes a Hero Vinod Khanna's dashing and debonair persona soon made him a hero with Hum Tum Aur Who (1971) but the film failed hence Vinod Khanna continued doing character and villain roles until he hit the bull’s eye with Imtihan (1975). In this film, he played a professor and how he transforms the college youth from crime to education. The movie had Tanuja as his heroine and Bindu had a powerful role as his student. After Imtihan, prominent filmmaker Prakash Mehra signed him in Hath Ki Safai, written by Salim-Javed. The film was a major hit and Vinod Khanna became a hero. Vinod Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan’s imitable Jodi Vinod Khanna formed an imitable Jodi with Amitabh Bachchan after the first hit film Hera Pheri. After this, they did many films like Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978), Parvarish (1977), Khoon Pasina (1977), Amar Akbar Anthony (1977) etc. Vinod Khanna made his second inning with success In the 80s Vinod Khanna took a five-year exile and settled in the USA to seek spiritual peace with Guru Osho but instead of mental peace he became restless and ran back to Bollywood. He made his second inning with Mukul Anands’ Insaaf (1987) opposite Dimple Kapadia. The film was a hit and Vinod Khanna gave many hits like Feroz Khan’s Dayavan. Yash Chopra’s Chandni and Mahesh Bhatt’s Jurm. With Salman Khan’s father in Dabangg and Dabangg 2, Vinod Khanna has proved he is still an actor par excellence.