"I hope you are not a very expensive heart surgeon, I may need your services some day!" This
was Rajesh Khanna's prayer to cardiac surgeon Mukesh Hariawala when the
superstar called on legendary composer R.D. Burman after the latter had
been operated upon in a London hospital.
It was the fifth day
after the now US-based Hariawala's bypass surgery of Burman at London's
Princess Grace Hospital. Rajesh Khanna trooped in with "Aradhana"
director Shakti Samanta.
The year was 1989, Hariawala recalled to IANS in an interview from Boston.
On
seeing Pancham, as R.D. Burman was known, in hospital, Rajesh Khanna
remarked: "I was looking for you in the recording studio, but they told
me you are in a London hospital."
"Toh pehli flight lee, aur seedha yahan chala aya. (So I took the first flight and came here straight)."
Burman died in 1994, and Rajesh Khanna, aka Kaka, breathed his last July 18.
"I
firmly believe that Rajesh Khanna and R.D. Burman were destined to be
soul mates. The affectionate bonding between Pancham and Kaka was
visibly touching," said Hariawala.
The two have together given
evergreen hits. While Pancham composed melodies like "Zindagi ke safar
mein guzar jaate", "O mere dil ke chain" and "Yeh shaam mastani", the
actor added his spark on the silver screen.
Hariawala recalled
how Rajesh Khanna wanted to take Burman out of the hospital to a nearby
pub for a beer, but the doctor declined to give the permission.
"Rajesh
Khanna was disappointed but in a gentlemanly manner apologised for
suggesting to break hospital rules," the doctor said.
"As an alternative, he then spoke of plans to celebrate the success of the surgery," said Hariawala.
In
the hospital, Burman boasted to Rajesh Khanna that Hariawala had
observed that his (Burman's) heart was physically larger than most
people's.
The superstar immediately responded with a smile: "Puri
duniya jaanti hai ki Pancham bade dilwale hain. (The world knows that
Pancham is a large-hearted man)."
Are you an expensive surgeon, Rajesh Khanna asked
