About Vinod Khanna
Vinod Khanna (6 October 1946 – 27 April 2017) was an Indian actor, film producer, and politician known for his work in Hindi cinema. Recognised as a style and fashion icon, he was often referred to as the "Sexy Sanyasi" in the media, as well a sex symbol. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest stars in Indian cinema history. In 2018, Khanna was posthumously honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest cinematic award, at the 65th National Film Awards. Beyond his film career, Khanna was also a spiritual seeker Khanna made his film debut in 1968 and initially appeared in supporting and antagonistic roles. He portrayed an angry young man in the social drama Mere Apne (1971), the main antagonist in the action drama Mera Gaon Mera Desh (1971), and a military officer turned fugitive in the crime drama Achanak (1973). Khanna emerged as a pivotal figure in 1970s Indian cinema, establishing himself as a leading action hero and box-office magnet who rivaled Amitabh Bachchan's dominance. From 1974 to 1982, he led in numerous hits, often as one of the highest-paid actors of the era, starred in several blockbusters that bolstered the masala film's popularity. In 1982, at the peak of his career, Khanna took a five-year hiatus from films to follow his spiritual guru, Osho Rajneesh. He returned to the film industry in 1987 with Insaaf and continued to gain hits with films, such as Suryaa (1989) and Chandni (1989). In his later career, he earned acclaim for his portrayals of fatherly figures in highly successful ventures like Wanted (2009), Dabangg (2010), Dabangg 2 (2012) and Dilwale (2015). Khanna was a notable political figure since late 1990s, serving as a Member of Parliament from the Gurdaspur constituency between 1998–2009 and 2014–2017. He held ministerial positions in the Government of India, including Minister for Culture and Tourism and Minister of State for External Affairs under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Khanna's first film was Adurthi Subba Rao's romantic thriller Man Ka Meet produced by Sunil Dutt and released in 1968.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.