Rajesh Khanna abused me on set, later apologised

The Story in Brief

Veteran actor Tej Sapru has recalled Rajesh Khanna once abusing him on a film set in Kashmir, an incident that left him deeply hurt because of the respect he had for the superstar. Sapru, who has acted in over 300 films, said Khanna later apologised, took him to his hotel, and they spent the night eating and drinking together. Sapru described Khanna as arrogant at his peak but one of the most generous men he had ever known.

Despite the episode, Sapru maintained a close friendship with Khanna, visiting him regularly with a bottle of Red Label whisky after the star’s career declined. Sapru believes Khanna’s arrogance may have hastened his downfall compared to contemporaries like Dharmendra and Jeetendra, though he insisted no actor matched Khanna’s following.