'Navin Nischol did not play second fiddle to any actor'

MUMBAI: Bollywood actor Navin Nischol passed away on Saturday morning, while travelling to Pune.
Nischol, 65, felt restless at Sion and a few minutes later breathed his last, family friend Manmohan Shetty said. Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit, said, "Navin was going to Pune and was to pick up Randhir Kapoor when he suffered a heart attack. He was taken to Sion hospital, where he was declared dead."
He made his debut with Saawan Bhadon in 1970 and his last release was Break Ke Baad. When Nischol made his debut as a hero, he was labelled the poor man's Rajesh Khanna, who was at the peak of his career and had given the superhit Kati Patang.
Nischol clicked with the audiences and the movie went on to celebrate a silver jubilee at the box office.
Nischol flourished as a hero for a decade. A gold medalist from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), he got popular with hits like Buddha Mil Gaya, Dhund, Victoria No 203, Hanste Zakhm and Woh Main Nahin. He got popular for his chocolate boy looks and songs, which included hits like Kaan mein jhumka (Sawan Bhadon), Raat kali jab khwab mein aayi (Buddha Mil Gaya), Simti si sharmai si (Parwana) and Tum jo mil gaye ho (Hanste Zakhm).
Film writer Dilip Thakur said, "Rajesh Khanna's popularity came in his way. He was known to be egoistic and did not want to play second fiddle to any actor, especially to another generation of actors like Amitabh Bachchan. He was offered Shashi Kapoor's role in Deewar which he turned down. The rest is history."
Thakur added: "He played the lead in Parwana, but Bachchan got appreciation for his role as a villain."
From 1980, Nischol started playing character roles with Saboot, Teri Baahon Mein and Samundar. His career was on the downslide. He was one of the first film actors, along with Shekhar Suman, to enter the world of TV. He worked few serials, including Anand Mahendroo's Dekh Bhai Dekh.
Nischol married twice, the first time to film director and producer Shekhar Kapur's sister, Neelu. But it ended when she found out about his affair with a starlet. His second marriage to Geetanjali ran into trouble when she alleged harassment by the family. She committed suicide, leaving behind a note blaming the actor for her death.
The last rites of Nischol were performed at the Santa Cruz crematorium on Saturday evening. Most of his friends, including Govind Nihalani, Manmohan Shetty, Prakash Jha, Rishi Kapoor and Randhir Kapoor, paid their respects.