31 Facts About Vinod Khanna

Vinod Khanna was an Indian actor, film producer and politician who is best known for his work in Hindi films; while being a notable spiritual seeker.

Vinod Khanna gave competition to Amitabh Bachchan's box office run in late 1970s to early 1980s before taking break from films.

In July 2002, Vinod Khanna became the minister for Culture and Tourism in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee cabinet.

In 1982, at the peak of his film career, Vinod Khanna temporarily took a break from the film industry to follow his spiritual guru Osho Rajneesh.

Vinod Khanna has been posthumously awarded India's highest award in cinema, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2018 by the Government of India at 65th National Film Awards.

Vinod Khanna was born in a Hindkowan Hindu family to Kamla and Krishanchand Vinod Khanna on 6 October 1946, in Peshawar, British India.

Vinod Khanna attended St Mary's School, Bombay until class II and then transferred to Delhi.

Vinod Khanna graduated with a commerce degree from Sydenham College, Bombay.

Vinod Khanna was spotted by Sunil Dutt after graduation, and made his acting debut in Sunil Dutt's 1968 film Man Ka Meet as a villain and in which Som Dutt was the hero, a remake of the Tamil film Kumari Penn.

From playing villain Vinod Khanna successfully switched over to playing the popular hero.

Vinod Khanna got his first break as the solo lead in Hum Tum Aur Woh opposite Bharathi Vishnuvardhan and followed it up with Gulzar's Mere Apne.

Vinod Khanna was, at the time, one of the highest paid actors in Hindi films.

Vinod Khanna appeared with Sunil Dutt in Daku Aur Jawan and in Nehle pe Dehla.

Vinod Khanna acted with Jeetendra in Ek Hasina Do Diwane, Ek Bechara, Parichay, Insaan, Anokhi Ada and Janam Kundli.

Vinod Khanna did Rakhwala, Mera Gaon Mera Desh, Patthar Aur Payal, The Burning Train, Batwara and Farishtay with Dharmendra.

Vinod Khanna worked with Shatrughan Sinha in films such as Panch Dushman, Bombay 405 Miles, Dost Aur Dushman, Pyaar Ka Rishta, Daulat Ke Dushman and Do Yaar, beginning with Gulzar's directorial debut Mere Apne.

In 1982, Vinod Khanna took a break from the film industry to be with his guru Osho Rajneesh at the new Ashram in Oregon, USA.

Khanna, who had taken initiation into Osho's neo-sanyas with the name Swami Vinod Bharti, worked as a gardener at the Ashram.

Around 1986, the Osho ashram in the US developed friction with the US government and got closed, following which Vinod Khanna came back to Mumbai and re-joined the film industry.

When questioned whether he had quit following Osho, Vinod Khanna would show the wooden bead mala given to him by Osho, which he always wore; and he continued to visit Osho Nisarga Ashram, situated in Dharamshala in the Himalayas until his last years.

Vinod Khanna made a popular pair with Meenakshi Seshadri with movies like Jurm, Mahaadev, Police Aur Mujrim, Humshakal and Satyamev Jayate proving successful.

Salman Khan played a supporting role in Nishchaiy in which Vinod Khanna played the main lead.

In 1999, Vinod Khanna received a Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to the industry for over three decades.

Vinod Khanna played several strong fatherly roles, including Salman Khan's father in blockbuster movies such as Wanted, Dabangg and Dabangg 2.

Vinod Khanna ventured into television, playing the male lead role of "Kashinath" in the Smriti Irani-produced Hindi serial mere apne, which aired on the channel 9X in 2009.

Vinod Khanna acted in the film Ek Thi Rani Aisi Bhi, a biopic based on the life and times of Vijaya Raje Scindia of Gwalior.

In 1997, Vinod Khanna joined the Bharatiya Janata Party and was elected from Gurdaspur constituency in Punjab in the next year's Lok Sabha poll.

Vinod Khanna served as Union minister of state for tourism and culture, as well as external affairs.

Vinod Khanna married Gitanjali in 1971 and had two sons with her, Rahul and Akshaye; both became Bollywood actors.

In 1990, upon returning to India, Vinod Khanna married Kavita Daftary, daughter of industrialist Sharayu Daftary.

Vinod Khanna was cremated at the Worli Crematorium on the same day.