If we should learn from someone’s life, it surely would be the one with the most ups and downs. We have seen numerous stars rise and fall before us but never did India witness an immediate rise and fall of someone before and after Rajesh Khanna.


Born to an aristocratic business family, brought up and spoilt by the familial love, Jatin Khanna had the seeds of ego , narcissism and possessiveness right from the childhood. From his rise as a theater artist, to the winner of an acting contest to the first superstar in the history of Indian cinema to the deepest fall in history, Jatin aka Rajesh Khanna’s life has everything that a thrilling blockbuster would ask for.


Author has portrayed the actor’s life with the level of reflection that none would dare to. Author has managed to contact practically everyone barring a few to have a clearer idea of what led to what and has succeeded to a great extend. Author has beautifully explained each and every film by the actor right from the plot to the songs to the behind the camera glimpses. If adapted into a movie, the book has everything that the maker would ask for.


The parallel track of the rise of Amitabh Bachan is depicted so subtly that author has put forward the real circumstances that led to the change in graph of the actor at the same time managing to make sure that he did not hurt anyone’s sentiments. Deliberately or due to lack of data, author has not delved much into the personal life of the legendary actor, which might be disappointing to an average voyeuristic reader.


While author has put forward the facts to the maximum precision possible, interpretation of some of the actions of the actor, for eg. decision to marry Dimple, were uni-linear and inspired from the assumptions of the third persons, which could have been wrong. But author has made sure not to be too vocal about the same. The book is surely a lesson to every youth as to how one should not get carried away by his/her success. the biography proves that handling success and remembering their base is important to anyone irrespective of the level of success.


I recommend this book to everyone who wants to become a winner.