Vinod Khanna on his 60th birthday . Review on Five Most Handsome Actors of Bollywood

Vinod Khanna was born in Punjab on 6th October 1946. Educated in St.Stephens College in Delhi and Sydenham Colege in Mumbai Vinod never showed any inclination towards.acting He excelled academically and was   abrilliant sportsmen.He had a superb physique and excelled in gymnastics .Inhis youth bdays hew as offered modelling assignmets and was asked to act in aply.

It was Sunil Dutt who gave the youngster a break in his film ’Man Ka Meet’.Satrting hsi career as   anegative role ator Vinodji gave   a smashing performance as   dacoit in ’Mera Gao Mera Desh’.This story was based on villagers trying to combat the opression of   adacoit Jabbar Singh.Vinod Khanna gave   asuperb portrayal of the character of Jabbar Singh.He superby went into the skin

of the character.His style of drinking water, threatening the villagers, questioning his own dacoits after someone in his gang betrayed them   and his thundering on horseback resembled   a real dacoit.To me he even overshadowed the great hero Dharmendra with his performance and brilliant stunts which he performed himself.

In 1973 Vinod Followed this up with superb portryals in ’Achanak’ and Mere Apne’.In ’Mere Apne’ he brilliantly portrays the character of   alove -starved student gang leader.He resembles   a range of emotions encompassing a series of situations, humour, frustration , anger and sadness, .In Achanak he brilliantly plays the role of a military soldier who commits a murder avenging the adultery  commited on his wife.It is most touching when he is going to the gallows looking at the Inspector who does his utmost to save his life after he had had an accident while trying to escape.

Other significant negative role portryals were in ’Khoon Pasina’ and ’Zameer’.Acting besides Amitabh Baccan  in ’Khoon Pasina’ tVinod displayed how effectively he could partner                     Amitabh.

In the late 1970’s Vinod started acting in tandem with Amitabh and superbly played supporting roles of an accomplice with great effect.’Heera Pheri’, m’Parvarsih", ’Amar Akbar Anthony’ and Muqaddar Ka Sikander’ were all hits He aloo acted good roles on hos own like in ’Inkaa’ where he displayed sturdiness as aPolice Inspector and in ’Imtihan’, where he displayed subtely in acting   aprofessor in love with a student.A ceratin malleability was shown, which was so charsasterictic of Vinoji in that picture, in addition to his attractive looks and personality.There were other pictures like ’Lahoo Ke Do Rang’, ’Daulat’’Aap Ki Khatir’which ran well but more due to Vinodji’s magnetic attraction than his role as an actor.

However all that set the tone for Vinod Khanna’s best ever performance ina semi Wesren called Qurbani.Whether it was looks personality projection action or acting Vinod was at is best and even Amitabh Bachan would nothave substituted him.He palys the role of ’Amar’ well and truly into the character   and every expression-whether anger, sorrow , frustration, humour is portrayed superbly.He enacts his death scene in the end truly in the charcater reminding a film fan of Amitabh’s death scene in Sholay.His action scenes are brilliantly executed when he fights Shakti Kapoor   and when he defends Zeenat Aman fro eve-teasing gang   .In one scene where he runs bare-chested with   a cigarette in his hand   towards a tree gazing at Zeenat Aman who is playing with his daughter he looks absolutely dashing.I have never seen a man looking so handsome in a moving actopn portrayal ever, in the history of Indian films.Even a Dharmendra, Salman Khan, Kabir Bedi, Dev Anand or Sashi Kapor could not equal that.If I were aHollwood director for sheer  prsence  I may have inducted him.

I that same period he acted in ’The Burning Train’   a copy of   a foreign accident adventure where he played the role of   arailway manager.He displayed typical machismo beinmg accompanied with star Dharmendra and was instrumental in making the film   a hit.

Sadly when at the top in 1980 Vinodji left to join Oshop Rajneesh in America.At this point he was the only serious challenger to Amitabh, who could topple Amitabh in the box office.  In 1985 Vinod Khanna returned.Though his looks changed there was still that inherent malleability and vulnerability which were displayed in ’Insaaf’, ’Satyamev Jayate’ and above all ’Dayavan’.In ’Dayavan’ he brilliantly portrays   a crusader fighting for justice against all the evils.One scene when he explains his cause to his daughter and his   personal reasons(How all his family were killed in his childhood and youth)  after she condemns his violent actions sis one of the most touching ever inIndina films.As a police Inspector in ’Satyamev Jayate’ he shows great comitment accompanied with machismo.He alos made film slike ’Batwara’ and ’Farishtay’ hits but mainly with his star presence.He made   avery god pair with Dharmendra   inthose pictures.

.

Evaluation of Vinod Khanna

In action or in motion he was more attractive than any movie star in the Indian Film Industry.He had most flexible body movements and was brilliant in action stunts.The machismo he displayed is unequaled.He was superb in agression.He may not have had an as well toned or muscular a body  as Dharmendra or Salman Khan, had or  the chocolaty looks of Sashi Kapoor or Feroz Khan, but overall he was still more attractive and had more sex appeal than any male actor..One can never forget this granite jawed -cleft chinned charcter wearing glasses and walking on screen.He had   a magnetic attraction.Overall he could he be rated   a great actor   or   a mere star with the typical Punjabi good looks?I think this is   a debatable point as when at his peak he left for Rajneesh in America .The other factor is he was always given the role of at ypical macho-hero and rarely got the chance to play   a character.To me he was at his best in acting and in looks when playing negative roles.With a moustache he looked even more handsome!In the final analysis to be the only ever serious box office challenger to Amitabh is an achievement in itself.It was alos no mean feat to turn from aneagtive role actor to a hero-the only actor after Motilal.His weakness mabe that he was too emotionally involved (Tendency to play his own charcter)and distracted by other disturbances but at his best displayed tremendous intensity.

.

Till Indian Films exist the presence of Vinod Khanna will never be forgotten.I wish he had made it to Hollywood!Let us wish him a graet 60th Bithday and remember all his great moments on screen!

By Harsh Thakor