Rajesh Khanna did ‘Anand’ for free when Hrishikesh Mukherjee told him he can’t afford his fee – Exclusive – Times of India

Today, Raseen shared a small anecdote that culminated in a big reveal. Khanna hadn’t charged Hrishikesh Mukherjee for “Anand’.

Raseen rewinded, “It all began when Gulzar saab visited Khanna at his Linking Road office. While Khanna was escorting him out till the lift, Gulzar mentioned to Khanna that he should meet Hrishikesh Mukherjee who has a great subject for him- it’s the story of a man who embraces and celebrates life when he knows that he’s not going to live long.”

And then? “Well, Khanna told Gulzar saab that he should fix up his meeting with Hrishida, for the very next day. Gulzar came to pick up Khanna a little before 10 am and the two hopped across to Hrishida’s office which was nearby.”

Continued Raseen, “When Hrishida met Khanna, he told him that he cannot afford his fee but has a marvellous story if he is interested. Khanna immediately turned around and said that he would not charge a penny. Hrishida said that there should be some compensation. Khanna said that he could then give him the releasing rights of the film in Mumbai. They instantly shook hands, and the rest, as they say, is history.”

Raseen also surprised us by saying that Khanna started shooting for ‘Anand’, just a week after that. “He had no dates for two years, but when he saw Hrishida wanted to start it immediately, he told Hrishida that he would come every day and shoot for 60-75 minutes during the lunch hour. And that’s exactly what he did until the film’s shooting culminated. The rest of the actors too would largely shoot their scenes with Khanna during the lunch hour.”

Kya kehna! Raseen concludes, “My friend was Dhruv Tara. He had the DNA of a superstar not just off-screen but on-screen as well.”