Rajesh Khanna was an extremely shy person: Waheeda Rehman

Read what the evergreen actor has to say about Bollywood's first superstar here

Yesteryear Bollywood actor Waheeda Rehman believes the iconic Rajesh Khanna was an extremely shy and quiet person.

The actor made the remarks while speaking exclusively to BBC Urdu.“I first met Rajesh on the set of Khamoshi when he had just entered the industry,” Waheeda said.



The veteran actor further revealed that she got a chance to gain an insight into Rajesh's life during a trip to Kolkata in connection with the film's shoot. “Very few people know that I recommended his name to director Hemant Kumar for Khamoshi,” she said.

“Khamoshi was a heroin-centric film which is why no established actor was willing to sign it. Hemant wanted to cast the legendary Dev Anand but that did not work out,” she said. It was then that she suggested Rajesh's name, Waheeda said.

Sharing an amusing anecdote, the actor said Rajesh struggled when it came to lip-syncing. Rehman said Khanna started acquiring fame post Khamoshi. Later, she said his collaborations with yesteryear actors Mumtaz and Sharmila Tagore became more popular.



Talking about the persona of the superstar, the actress said he was very simple yet fascinating person who inspired people of all ages. “Some people say he was moody but this is an erroneous impression,” she said.