Rajesh Khanna and me
This is my youngest photo I have with me. I do not know date of take and who had taken. I just know that during this time I was in Sarah Tucker Nursery and Primary School in Palayamkottai, Tirunelveli, Tamilnadu, India. My class teacher called me Rajesh Khanna.I never knew who this man was and what his credentials were. But I was happy to be little Rajesh Khanna since it fetched me many favors from teachers.
I could write with a chalk piece on slate, whereas others may write with slate pencils. Also, for dictation on local language, I write answers in English for my own questions. Teachers give pass mark for me. All the time, my seat was near or on the lap of the teacher. During break, the school used to give biscuits to students. Every student gets one biscuit, whereas they gave me two.
I slowly learned that Rajesh Khanna is a film celebrity and becoming a celebrity brings undue laurels to you. Yearning to become popular may have crept from this incident. I fantasied acting in films of my own. All stories are mine in which I am the hero, always on a horse. To be frank, I never learned horse-riding.
I was always fond of making title scenes and climax scenes. All these scenes had a gigantic tree with great height. I always feel that this tree is praying to GOD with its hands raised up to the sky.
Many told
“See, you both are sharp features”
“See the nose”
“Eyes,”
“Hair”
“You have similarities. Resemblance,”
But comparing me with Rajesh Khanna only resulted in dreaming. Dreaming about films… dreaming about making film stories…
I feel that is how I started writing stories in my thoughts- not on paper