Vinod Khanna’s most memorable performances over the years

Bollywood actor Vinod Khanna passed away on Thursday morning, at age 70. He breathed his last at 11.20 am due to advanced bladder carcinoma.
The actor was admitted to Sir HN Reliance Foundation hospital in Mumbai in the last week of March due to severe dehydration, as stated by his elder son Rahul Khanna. His health became a cause of concern in the recent weeks when a photo of him looking frail and weak started doing rounds on social media. Many Bollywood stars and fans had come forward to convey their well wishes.

The former MP from Gurdaspur, Vinod Khanna started out as a bad guy by playing a villainous role in Sunil Dutt’s 1968 film ‘Man Ka Meet’, and followed it up with a few more vindictive characters in ‘Purab Aur Paschim’, ‘Sachaa Jhutha’, ‘Aan Milo Sajna’, ‘Mastana’ in 1970, and in ‘Mera Gaon Mera Desh’ and ‘Elaan’ in 1971. Khanna proceeded to play a diverse range of characters over the years, gradually moving to different genres like comedy, romance and action. Here’s presenting a list of some of his most memorable acting displays in the over 140 films that he’s acted in.

The Gulzar directorial saw Vinod Khanna play the character of Major Ranjeet Khanna, which was reportedly inspired from the tale of Commander Kawas Manekshaw Nanavati, a Naval Commander who was tried for the murder of Prem Ahuja, his wife's lover. The incident had previously inspired the 1963 film ‘Yeh Rastey Hain Pyar Ke’ and also Akshay Kumar’s 2016 ‘Rustom’, which went on to win him a national film award.

After making a move from treacherous characters with his first positive role in ‘Hum Tum Aur Woh’, Vinod Khanna returned to playing a baddie in Raj Khosla’s ‘Mera Gaon Mera Desh’. He essayed the role of a menacing dacoit and haunted Dharmendra’s heroic character. The latter may have received a Filmfare nomination for Best Actor, but Vinod definitely got etched in our memories with his smashing performance.

Directed by Prakash Mehra, the film featured Vinod Khanna, who picked up the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award, the only nomination and win for the film. The film had a typical separated-brothers-reunite-in-the-end storyline. The cast included Hema Malini, Randhir Kapoor, Simi Garewal, Ranjeet and Satyen Kappu.

Following the pattern of separated brothers getting reunited, ‘Amar Akbar Anthony’ boasted of the classic Manmohan Desai touch which brought together masala entertainment with a social message at the film’s core. Three brothers are separated from their parents and each other in their childhood, and are raised in three different faiths, Hinduism, Islam and Christianity. They unite in their youth to fight a common villain. The film was the biggest blockbuster of 1977 and won several awards at 25th Filmfare Awards including Best Actor, Best Music Director and Best Editing.

Marking his return from a sabbatical of five years at spiritual guru Osho’s ashram and under his tutelage, Vinod Khanna picked up where he left off. He was inundated with roles in action films, and with ‘Dayavan’, the actor embraced the opportunity by playing a benevolent gangster who dedicates his life to helping those less fortunate than himself. His character undergoes a physical transformation and showed him in an avatar different to his flamboyant image. His chemistry with Madhuri Dixit in the song ‘Aaj Phir Tum Pe’ remains to be one of the sizzling on-screen pairs till date.
RV