Close X
Monday, November 11, 2024
ADVT 
Bollywood

Shatrughan's Biggest Regret: Contesting Election Against Rajesh Khanna

Darpan News Desk IANS, 05 Jan, 2016 11:36 AM
  • Shatrughan's Biggest Regret: Contesting Election Against Rajesh Khanna
Actor-turned politician Shatrughan Sinha has said that contesting elections against Bollywood star Rajesh Khanna was his biggest regret and he had apologised to him too.
 
"If there is one regret that I have in politics, it is that I was made to fight Rajesh Khanna from Delhi in 1991," Sinha revealed in his biography "Anything But Khamosh" slated to be released on Wednesday.
 
Sinha revealed that losing the electoral battle was one of his rare moments of dejection and he had apologised to Khanna.
 
"For this, in his lifetime, I had apologised to Rajesh Khanna both directly and indirectly. Under no circumstances should I have started my active political career with a bye-election. But I couldn't say no to (L.K.) Advani ji, who was my guide, guru and ultimate leader," Sinha said in the book.
 
Advani, who had contested and won the 1991 elections from Gandhinagar and New Delhi, had opted for his seat in Gujarat.
 
In the bye-election that followed for the Delhi seat, then political novice Sinha was brought in by the BJP to counter the Congress candidate Rajesh Khanna.
 
 
Sinha insisted that he joined the party and fought the bye-election "Only because of the persuasion of Kalyan Singh, Shanta Kumar, Madan Lal Khurana and other party leaders.
 
"I had initially resisted all their overtures but I was finally taken before Advani ji, and he had said, 'It's a question of our prestige and I don't want to hear a 'No' from you this time."
 
"When I lost that election, it was one of my rare moments of dejection," he said.
 
"It was the one time I really cried. I also felt very let down because Advani ji had not come even for one day to campaign for me."
 
Terming his debut electoral loss a "misstep", Sinha revealed that it was a terrible time for him.
 
"Politics showed its ugly profile in many ways. After I lost that election, I was so sharply sidelined that I would be made to feel distinctly unwelcome at our party office on Ashoka Road. People would stop talking when I entered, or change the topic and make me uncomfortable.
 
 
"One day, a party official who is still with the BJP, came up and told me, 'Shatruji, please sit outside. We'll call you when we're ready to talk to you'," he remembered.
 
"That went straight to my heart and hurt me so badly, that for years, I never visited the office," he added.

MORE Bollywood ARTICLES

'Bajirao Mastani' Crosses Rs.100 Crore-Mark Worldwide

'Bajirao Mastani' Crosses Rs.100 Crore-Mark Worldwide
The movie -- about Maratha warrior Peshwa Bajirao I (Ranveer), Mastani (Deepika) and Kashibai (Priyanka) -- released alongside Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's “Dilwale” on December 18. 

'Bajirao Mastani' Crosses Rs.100 Crore-Mark Worldwide

Rohit Shetty To Watch 'Dilwale' With Audience This Christmas

Rohit Shetty To Watch 'Dilwale' With Audience This Christmas
Filmmaker Rohit Shetty, who is thrilled with the success of his latest directorial venture “Dilwale”, says he is planning to watch the film with the audience this Christmas.

Rohit Shetty To Watch 'Dilwale' With Audience This Christmas

People's Attitude In Industry Has Changed: Shilpa Shirodkar

Actress Shilpa Shirodkar, who is returning to the small screen with a new TV show titled "Silsila Pyar Ka", says she finds that the attitude of people in showbiz has undergone a major change.

People's Attitude In Industry Has Changed: Shilpa Shirodkar

Twitter Block List Is Sunny Leone's Weapon For Haters

Think before you post "obscene stuff or mean things" to Sunny Leone on Twitter! The actress will hit the block button against your name.

Twitter Block List Is Sunny Leone's Weapon For Haters

I'm Not Dating Anybody: Pulkit Samrat

"I am not dating anybody. I don't know about Yami. There are so many rumours going around... Not each one is true," Pulkit said at the the music launch of the film.

I'm Not Dating Anybody: Pulkit Samrat

I'm Endorsing Being Your Fittest Self: Parineeti Chopra

I'm Endorsing Being Your Fittest Self: Parineeti Chopra
Ever since she stepped into the film industry, Parineeti was targeted for having a fuller figure. Did she decide to lose weight because of the brickbats?

I'm Endorsing Being Your Fittest Self: Parineeti Chopra