Vinod Khanna facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vinod Khanna
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Khanna at 7th CAFTPG Awards in 2012
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| Minister of State for Culture & Tourism | |
| In office July 2002 – January 2003 |
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| Prime Minister | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| Minister of State for External Affairs | |
| In office January 2003 – May 2004 |
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| Prime Minister | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha | |
| In office 26 May 2014 – 27 April 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Pratap Singh Bajwa |
| Succeeded by | Sunil Jakhar |
| In office 1998–2009 |
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| Preceded by | Sukhbuns Kaur |
| Succeeded by | Pratap Singh Bajwa |
| Constituency | Gurdaspur |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 6 October 1946 Peshawar, North-West Frontier Province, British India |
| Died | 27 April 2017 (aged 70) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Political party | Bharatiya Janata Party |
| Spouses |
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| Children | 4 (including Akshaye Khanna and Rahul Khanna) |
| Alma mater | Sydenham College, Mumbai |
| Occupation | |
| Awards | Dadasaheb Phalke Award (2018) |
| Years active | 1968–2015 |
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Works
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Vinod Khanna (born October 6, 1946 – died April 27, 2017) was a famous Indian actor, film producer, and politician. He was best known for his work in Hindi movies, often called Bollywood. He also explored spiritual ideas throughout his life.
Vinod Khanna was one of the most popular actors of his time, alongside Amitabh Bachchan and Rajesh Khanna. He even competed with Amitabh Bachchan's success at the movies in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Later, he joined politics and became a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Gurdaspur area. He served as an MP from 1998 to 2009 and again from 2014 to 2017.
In July 2002, Vinod Khanna became the Minister of State for Culture and Tourism in the government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Six months later, he became the Minister of State for External Affairs, dealing with India's relationships with other countries.
Khanna started his film career in 1968. At first, he played supporting roles or villains, like the angry young man in Mere Apne and the main villain in Mera Gaon Mera Desh. He also played a military officer on the run in Achanak. Later, he became a leading hero in many successful films. Some of his most famous movies include Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Amar Akbar Anthony, Qurbani, and Chandni.
In 1982, when he was at the peak of his acting career, Khanna took a break from films. He spent five years following his spiritual teacher, Osho Rajneesh. After his break, he returned to Bollywood with hit films like Insaaf. In his later career, he played many memorable father roles in popular movies like Wanted (2009) and Dabangg (2010).
After he passed away, Vinod Khanna was given India's highest award in cinema, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, in 2018.
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Early Life and Education
Vinod Khanna was born into a Hindu family on October 6, 1946, in Peshawar, which was then part of British India (now in Pakistan). He had three sisters and one brother. Soon after he was born, India was divided into two countries, and his family moved from Peshawar to Bombay (now Mumbai).
He went to St. Mary's School in Bombay for a short time before moving to Delhi. In 1957, his family moved to Delhi, where he attended Delhi Public School, Mathura Road. Even though his family moved back to Bombay in 1960, he was sent to Barnes School, a boarding school near Nashik. While at boarding school, Vinod Khanna watched classic movies like Solva Saal and Mughal-e-Azam. He fell in love with films after seeing them.
He later earned a degree in commerce from Sydenham College in Bombay. Vinod Khanna also loved cricket. He once said that cricket, not films, was his first love.
Film Career Highlights
Starting in Films (1968–1971)
After finishing college, Vinod Khanna was discovered by the famous actor Sunil Dutt. He made his acting debut in Sunil Dutt's 1968 film Man Ka Meet. In this movie, he played a villain. Early in his career, he often played supporting roles or negative characters, such as in films like Purab Aur Paschim, Sachaa Jhutha, and Aan Milo Sajna.
Becoming a Star (1971–1982)
Vinod Khanna successfully changed from playing villains to becoming a popular hero. He got his first main role in Hum Tum Aur Woh (1971). In 1973, his acting as an army officer in Achanak was highly praised by critics.
In 1974, he played a college professor in Imtihaan, which was a big success. He also starred with Amitabh Bachchan in Amar Akbar Anthony and Muqaddar Ka Sikandar. These movies became the most successful Indian films of 1977 and 1978. Muqaddar Ka Sikandar was the third highest-earning Hindi movie of the 1970s.
At the height of his fame, he played a supporting role in Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki (1978). In 1980, he starred in Feroz Khan's Qurbani, which was the highest-earning film that year. During this time, he was one of the highest-paid actors in Hindi films.
Vinod Khanna also starred in many films with other popular actors. He worked with Feroz Khan in Shankar Shambhu, Shashi Kapoor in Chor Sipahee, and Amitabh Bachchan in films like Hera Pheri and Parvarish. He also acted with Dharmendra in movies such as Mera Gaon Mera Desh and The Burning Train.
Break for Spirituality (1982–1986)
In 1982, Vinod Khanna decided to take a break from the film industry. He went to be with his spiritual teacher, Osho Rajneesh, at his new spiritual community in Oregon, USA. Khanna had met Osho in the mid-1970s and often visited his center in Pune for meditation. He even worked as a gardener at the community.
Around 1986, the Osho community in the US had problems with the US government and closed down. After this, Khanna returned to Mumbai and started acting in films again. He always wore a special wooden bead necklace given to him by Osho and continued to visit Osho's spiritual centers.
Returning to Films (1987–2015)
After coming back to Bollywood in 1987, Vinod Khanna starred in Insaaf with Dimple Kapadia. He worked again with Feroz Khan in Dayavan (1988). In 1989, he co-starred in the romantic hit Chandni. He often played roles in action films during this period. He formed a popular acting pair with Meenakshi Seshadri in movies like Jurm and Satyamev Jayate.
In the 1990s, Khanna appeared in many commercial films, including Muqaddar Ka Badshaah, Jurm, and Kshatriya. He also helped launch his son Akshaye Khanna in the 1997 film Himalay Putra, where he also acted alongside him.
In 1999, Vinod Khanna received a special Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award for his long and important contributions to the film industry. After that, he started playing character roles, such as in Deewaanapan (2002). In 2007, he acted in the Pakistani film Godfather. He also played strong fatherly roles in very successful movies like Salman Khan's Wanted (2009), Dabangg (2010), and Dabangg 2 (2012).
Khanna also worked in television. He played the main male role in the Hindi TV show mere apne in 2009. In 2014, he played a lead role in Koyelaanchal, where he was a powerful leader of the coal mafia. His last film released before he passed away was Dilwale in 2015, where he acted with Shah Rukh Khan. He also appeared in Ek Thi Rani Aisi Bhi, a movie about the life of Vijaya Raje Scindia. His final film appearance was in Guns of Banaras, which was released in 2020.
Political Career
In 1997, Vinod Khanna joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, a major political party in India. The next year, he was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) from the Gurdaspur area in Punjab. In 1999, he was re-elected from the same area.
In July 2002, he became a Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism. This meant he had an important role in the government, looking after culture and tourism. Six months later, he was moved to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) as a Minister of State, where he helped manage India's relationships with other countries.
In 2004, he won the election again from Gurdaspur. However, he lost in the 2009 general elections. In the 2014 general election, he was elected again as an MP from the same area. Vinod Khanna was unique because no other Bollywood star had won four Lok Sabha elections (in 1998, 1999, 2004, and 2014).
Personal Life
Vinod Khanna met his first wife, Gitanjali Taleyarkhan, in college. They got married in 1971 and had two sons, Rahul and Akshaye, who both became actors in Bollywood. In 1975, he became a follower of Osho. In the early 1980s, he moved to Osho's spiritual community in Rajneeshpuram. Vinod Khanna and Gitanjali divorced in 1985.
In 1990, after returning to India, Khanna married Kavita Daftary. They had a son and a daughter together.
Illness and Death
Vinod Khanna was admitted to Sir H.N. Reliance Foundation Hospital in Mumbai on April 2, 2017, because he was severely dehydrated. He passed away on April 27, 2017, at 11:20 AM. It was later shared that he had been fighting advanced bladder cancer. He was cremated at the Worli Crematorium on the same day.
Filmography
Awards and Recognition
- 1975 – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for Haath Ki Safai
- 1977 – Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for Hera Pheri
- 1977 – Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Actor for Shaque
- 1979 – Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for Muqaddar Ka Sikander
- 1981 – Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Actor for Qurbani
- 1990 – Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for Chandni
- 1999 – Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award
- 2005 – Stardust Awards – Role Model for the Year
- 2007 – Zee Cine Award for Lifetime Achievement
- 2017 – Dadasaheb Phalke Award (given after his death).
See also
In Spanish: Vinod Khanna para niños
