The Original “Heartthrob” Vinod Khanna passes away at 70

Veteran Indian actor Vinod Khanna has died at the age of 70, according to a hospital statement.  Tushar Pania, a spokesman for Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital, said Khanna died Thursday due to bladder carcinoma.

Born on October 6, 1946 in Peshawar, Khanna made his Bollywood debut in 1968 and acted in more than 100 films. His popular performances included “Mere Apne” (My Own), “Mera Gaon Mera Desh” (My Village, My Country), “Gaddaar” (Traitor), “Kachhe Dhaage” (Delicate Thread) and “Amar Akbar Anthony.” He acted with top stars Amitabh Bachhan and Dharmendra in several Hindi movies.

In 1982, Khanna temporarily quit the film industry to join spiritual guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. He resumed his film career after five years.

He married his first wife, Geetanjali, in 1971 and the two had two sons, Rahul Khanna and Akshaye Khanna, who also became Bollywood actors. The marriage ended in a divorce, and he married his second wife, Kavita, in 1990. They had two children, a son and a daughter.
Tributes to the actor poured in on social media, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paying his respects.