When Rajesh first came to Mumbai, he did not think of changing his name for films
Rajesh Khanna’s real name was Jatin Khanna.
Rajesh Khanna made his Bollywood debut with the 1966 film Aakhri Khat. The film wasn’t that big a hit but just enough for people to know that a new boy had entered the industry. Before the release of Rajesh Khanna’s film, a movie starring Shashi Kapoor hit the theatres and was an instant hit. The name of this film was Jab Jab Phool Khile and it was released in 1965. The interesting part is that Rajesh Khanna had to change his name because of this film.
Rajesh Khanna’s real name was Jatin Khanna. When Rajesh first came to Mumbai, he did not think of changing his name for films. However, Shashi Kapoor’s Jab Jab Phool Khile also had an artist by the name of Jatin Khanna.
And therefore, when Rajesh was preparing for his debut, he did not want the industry to have two people with the same name. He did not want the audience to be confused between the two. Hence, he changed his name from Jatin Khanna to Rajesh Khanna. When Rajesh could not make it big with Akhri Khat, his debut, he was a little disappointed.
The superstar struggled for two years after Akhri Khat, but it was only a matter of time before Rajesh’s name became a brand in the industry.
