Veteran actor By Asha Parek Recently, she shared nostalgic memories of her trip to the cinema in an episode of Indian Idol. The actor looks back on his experiences with the late superstar Rajesh Khanna and he recalled how their friendship had developed over the years.The conversation started after contestant Myscee Basu performed the classic song “Aaja Piya Tohe Pyaar Doon”. The performance brought back memories of the song shoot and led Asha Parekh to revisit the early moments of Rajesh Khanna’s career.
Asha Parekh recalls the early days of Rajesh Khanna
Asha Parekh spoke about Rajesh Khanna’s personality during his early years in the film industry. He recalled that the actor was still finding his place in the industry and was naturally quiet during that period. Sharing her memories, Asha Parekh said, “Ye gana jab pictured hua tha tho Rajesh Khana ji ka phela din tha uss picture ke liye vo second picture the tho naam nahi tha unka tho kafi zezhak vizhak the unme was basically internalized.” (“When this song was being shot, it was Rajesh Khanna ji’s first day in that film. It was only his second film, so he was not known at that time. He was quite shy and hesitant. Basically, he was an introvert.”)The actor suggested that Rajesh Khanna’s reserved personality stood out during those early interactions. Asha Parekh further revealed that things gradually changed after they worked together in more films. As they continued to share screen space, their conversations grew and they became more comfortable with each other. Talking about the transition in their relationship, she said, “Uske baad jab maine do you picture aur ke Rajesh Khana ke sath kafi kuch milna julna ho gaya, bate shuru ho gaye.” (“After that, when I worked with Rajesh Khanna on two or three more films, we started meeting more often and gradually started talking to each other.”)
Busy film schedules brought new challenges for Asha Parekh
The actor also recalled the time when the two stars were balancing multiple projects simultaneously. According to him, their schedules often shifted from one set to another without much rest in between.
Remembering those intense days, he said:
“Dost ke ise baat hote jaise ham shoot kar rahe the ‘Kaate Patang’ ke 7 to 2 and 2 to 10 Aj ‘Milo Sajna.” He added, “Ab yaha se vaha bhago, yaha se vaha bhago thak bhi jate the q ke constantly ye kar rahe the.” The actor recalled how such rigorous routines would leave them exhausted.
Light memories of decorations
Asha Parekh also shared a funny moment around Rajesh Khanna during those busy shooting days. He remembered advising her not to rush the decorations unnecessarily.“Tho ek din aa ke kaha Asha ji ap kyu jaldi ate hain, bole ke ap aram se aye mai 4 baje se phele nahi aunga.” She also shared her reaction to his advice. “Acha hua apne bata di, mai ek ghanta aram kar ke set pe poch jaungi.”
Friendship Beyond Work
Talking about their personal bond, Asha Parekh explained how gradually they started sharing personal experiences. He recalled that their friendship was built on comfort and open conversations.“Acha lagta tha, vo kabhi apna dhun sukh voh share karte the. Mai apne dhuk sukh ke baat unse karte the. Is tarha dosti hamare rahe.” (“He was very kind. Sometimes he shared his joys and sorrows with me, and I shared them with him. That’s how our friendship continued and grew”).“Aaja Piya Tohe Pyaar Doon” remains one of the most memorable songs from Baharon Ke Sapne. The song was sung by Lata Mangeshkar, composed and written by RD Burman Majrooh Sultanpuri.
