RIP Vinod Khanna: Five films of the flamboyant, versatile actor we'll always remember

Vinod Khanna’s entry into Bollywood was not of the usual kind. Unlike all conventional heroes who started out with small but positive roles in films and progressed to getting bigger, better roles that turned them into stars, Khanna made his entry on the silver screen by playing the stereotypical baddie in Sunil Dutt’s 1968 film Man Ka Meet. Vinod Khanna passes away aged 70; matinee idol had been battling cancer This was followed by roles in Purab Aur Paschim, Sachaa Jhutha, Aan Milo Sajna, and Mastana. He later moved to playing the lead. His first film as the lead was Hum Tum Aur Woh in 1971. The matinee idol passed away aged 70, in Mumbai, after a protracted battle with cancer, on 27 April 2016. Fans mourned the loss of Khanna, and tributes poured in on social media. In the wake of Khanna’s demise, here’s a look at some of his best on screen performances: [caption id=“attachment_3408154” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  From Lahu ke Do Rang to Qurbani and Dabanng, Vinod Khanna turned in some memorable performances on screen[/caption] Achanak Remember Akshay Kumar’s recent film Rustom based on the KM Nanavati scandal for which he won the National Film Award? Gulzar was the first to make a film about the Nanavati case, though it was not a biopic. Khanna played Major Ranjeet, a character modeled on Nanavati. It won him many accolades and established him as a lead actor. Amar Akbar Anthony Released in the year 1977, this movie has a unique blend of action, comedy and romance. This year was definitely one of the best years for Khanna. Amar Akbar Anthony was a huge hit at the box-office and the jodi of Amitabh, Rishi and Vinod worked well on screen. The film was directed by Manmohan Desai. While it provided for a lighthearted entertainer, it was also a casting coup as Khanna shared the screen space with two other huge superstars who were his contemporaries. Dabangg Khanna had a successful second innings in Hindi cinema where most of his contemporaries had faded away from the silver screen. Khanna was best known for his role in Abhinav Kashyap’s 2010 action comedy Dabangg in which he played Salman Khan’s father. He displayed a range of emotions like anger, concern for his children and confusion so effortlessly that he became the old dad next door. Lahu Ke Do Rang Long before Shahid Kapoor in Rangoon, Vinod Khanna had brought the role of an INA soldier to life. In Lahu Ke Do Rang, Khanna played Shamser Singh, who is on the run from the British Army, and also had romantic interests in characters played by Helen and Indrani Mukherjee. The film was directed by Mahesh Bhatt. Qurbani While this Feroz Khan film was best known for Zeenat Aman’s oomph, it was the flamboyance that Khanna brought to the film that made it one of the most stylish thrillers of the 1980s. The sophistication of Qurbani came not from fancy sets or flashu effects, but the style statements set by its lead actors — including Khanna.