Read part 1 here: Rajesh Khanna was a rock star!: Yasser Usman
Sakshi Raina: While you were researching for this book, did you find out things that you wished you never knew about him?
Yasser Usman: No, I don't really think. Since my training as a journalist, the first step has always been to research. During my initial research, there were more than 70-80 interviews of Rajesh Khanna. He was my subject. I went to the libraries all across the countries and somehow managed to gather all those interviews. I tried to study them underlying some points.
In all those interviews what came across was, I knew that he was an adopted child but in those interviews he nowhere mentioned his real family. So this was one thing which no one knew about. He was in complete denial of his biological parents.
This got me thinking why is he not talking about it? What is disturbing him so much?
Everyone knows about Rajesh Khanna as someone who was arrogant. He always wanted to control his relationships.
Sakshi Raina: So, this was because of his childhood trauma?
Yasser Usman: Correct! This was because of the trauma. So this was the untold part of the story. His behavior was something this way because of something that happened with him in his past and he could never forget that his parents gave me away. This is his feeling as a child. When you're six to seven years old, you cannot understand.
It wasn't like his foster parents were bad. He raised him like a prince.
When he became the superstar and the downfall happened. It happens to everyone. If you go up you need to come down. Success happens and failures also happens. He couldn't tolerate that.
He said that: Now my fans has also left me. What is wrong with me? and this was his problem throughout his life. This is what ruined him. So this is on a very psychological level and important in a way that makes it a non-Bollywood book.
It is a story of a human who had everything that money and fame could offer. At the same time, he was the loneliest man on earth. That is what he said " I don't know who to speak to". His relationships went bad. His wife left him. His children left him.
Sakshi Raina: I repeat the question, is there no such thing that you wish you never knew?
Yasser Usman: (long silence) Maybe.....
Sakshi Raina: ..Or anything that changed your perception about him?
Yasser Usman: Yeah, A change of perception. Definitely! My generation has always thought that he was such a loser, he is such a frustrated soul who cannot accept the fact that he is no longer the superstar. That was his impression on our generation. When I started researching about him, I found out that this was so human and money can change things. He had everything that money can buy but at the same time, he had his emotional issues.
People say that his alcohol or cancer killed him. I say that his loneliness killed him.
Sakshi Raina: I agree. Unless you're happy from within, money can't make you happy.
Yasser Usman: He wasn't happy. He was too lonely.
Read part 3 here: Write a stronger book instead of banning one: Yasser Usman
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