Rajesh Khanna's Unparalleled Fame Brought Pune to a Standstill

According to the article, Rajesh Khanna was the biggest Bollywood superstar in the late 1960s, with a level of fame that few actors have ever achieved. His co-star, former child actor Satyajeet Puri, recently shared his experiences of working with Khanna and witnessing the actor's unparalleled popularity.

Puri recalled a particular incident while shooting a film with Khanna in Pune. The actor was supposed to arrive on set at 2 pm, but he didn't show up until 8 pm. This angered the director, Shakti Samanta, who questioned Khanna about his tardiness. However, Khanna explained that the entire city of Pune had come to a standstill due to his arrival, and paramilitary forces had to be called in to rescue him.

Puri also shared an anecdote about Khanna's kindness towards him during their first scene together. Despite being the biggest star in the country, Khanna made Puri feel comfortable by acknowledging that he too sometimes forgot his dialogues.

Puri emphasized that the level of fame Khanna enjoyed was unmatched, with women holding onto the tires of his car and even applying the dust from it to their scalps in place of sindoor. The actor's name is still considered a yardstick when discussing the heights of stardom in Bollywood.