When Rajesh Khanna Shared How Playback Singing Made Him The Superstar He Was, 'I Sing..'

Remember Rajesh Khanna with his friend, Sujit Kumar, in an open jeep at the picturesque Darjeeling, between the rattling toy train singing, Mere Sapnon Ki Rani Kab Ayegi Tu? He is shown to be determined to impress his love, Sharmila Tagore. One cannot miss Rajesh's playful and flirty side that depicts the anticipation of an impatient lover. Apart from his on-screen charm, Kishore Kumar's melodious voice breathes life into the scene, capturing love and longing. 

Rajesh Khanna singing with the playback singer in his songs

Kishore Kumar's voice filled the soul of Rajesh Khanna's characters. The late actor's career changed in a way that was beyond his imagination. Aradhana was the first film where Kishore Kumar had first crooned for Rajesh Khanna. Fondly known as 'Kaka', he was a newcomer then and became a superstar with the movie in 1969. Songs like Mere Sapno Ki Rani Kab Ayegi Tu, Roop Tera Mastana, Kora Kagaz Tha Yeh Man Mera were evergreen hits. There was a time when Rajesh Khanna revealed lip-syncing on Hindi songs. Now, a video went viral: a journalist asked Rajesh if he sang in his films or just moved his mouth. As shared by Reddit, Rajesh could be heard saying: 

"I sing with the playback. You hear the playback singing, and you feel that it is me who is singing more or less because there is a lot of similarity in his voice and my voice. The only thing is he can sing and I can't. It is accepted."

When Rajesh Khanna revealed that he felt he was singing Mere Sapno Ki Rani

Kishore Kumar had sung 245 songs for Rajesh Khanna. In an old interview on  Anil Kumar Pandey’s YouTube channel, Kaka metamorphically said that he was born after Aradhna. He was so captivated by the voice of Kishore Da, who was stunned by Rajesh's on-screen presence. The actor remembered when he heard Kishore Da, he thought it was his voice. In his words:

"Jab maine Aaradhna ka pehla gaana, “Mere Sapno Ki Rani Kab Ayegi Tu? suna, mujhe aisa laga ki yeh gaana Rajesh Khanna khud gaa raha hai… jaise do jism aur ek jaan ho gaye."

Rajesh Khanna's other voices

Manna Dey’s most famous song for Rajesh Khanna was the serene and soulful, Zindagi Kaise Ye Paheli from Anand, 1971. The song was meant to be a background score, but 'Kaka' loved it so much that he insisted Hrishikesh Mukherjee create a situation around the same. Rajesh Khanna has always been identified via Kishore Kumar as his voice. The Manna Dey-Rajesh Khanna combination was not odd. Even Rajesh Khanna's song, Maine Tere Liye, beautifully depicts Anand's personality. Kishore did not croon the song, but Mukesh sang the same song. He was considered better suited even for the other superstars like Dilip Kumar, Manoj Kumar, Raj Kapoor.

However, Rajesh Khanna's stardom was linked to Kishore Kumar's unmatched talent as a playback singer. The collaboration of the duo has created some of the most memorable songs in the history of Bollywood. Kishore's voice complemented Rajesh's on-screen characters, and because their songs became successful, their films became cult classics.

What do you think of Rajesh Khanna lip-syncing in his evergreen hit movies?

Also Read: Priya Bapat: Lived In A 'Chawl' For 25 Years, Faced 100 Rejection, Had A Hit Debut With Sanjay Dutt

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