<p>Thousands of fans thronged the rain-soaked streets stretching from the swanky Carter Road, Bandra Bandstand to Pawan Hans Crematorium in Vile Parle, north-west Mumbai to catch a last glimpse of yesteryear actor and India’s first superstar Rajesh Khanna as the cortege wended its way for the final journey, Thursday morning.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The actor who passed away on Wednesday at the age of 69, after battling with cancer for nearly a year, was consigned to flames by his grandson Aarav (actor Akshay Kumar and Twinkle Khanna’s son) at Pawan Hans Crematorium around noon.<br /><br />Decorated with flowers and huge snapshots of the actor, the hearse carrying Khanna’s body encapsuled in a glass cage started its final journey amidst rain battering the roads around 11 am with Khanna’s son-in-laws-actor Akshay Kumar and investment banker Samir Saran guiding the procession comprising close relatives and the late actor’s wife Dimple Kapadia, younger daughter Rinkie and grandson Aarav.<br /><br />The actor’s eldest daughter Twinkle being pregnant was not allowed to accompany the nine-km funeral procession on medical advice.<br /><br />Apart from film maker Karan Johar not many from the film industry were seen in the cortege; but all and sundry from the showbiz world congregated at the cremation site.<br /><br />Fans’ farewell<br /><br />Even as the funeral procession winded its way slowly through the tree-lined lanes, crowds and police punctuated the footpaths all along the way holding aloft photographs of the film star who had ignited a hysteria amongst his fans in sixties and seventies.<br /><br />The police, on many occasions had to resort to a mild-lathi charge in a bid to control the mob spilling over the streets and sky-walks leading to the crematorium entry. <br /><br />The gates were closed and Khanna’s son-in-law and actor Akshay Kumar requested the media: “We want it to be a private affair. Please respect our privacy.”<br /><br />Even as the last rites were being conducted actors Manoj Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Rani Mukherjee, Karan Johar and scores of film industry personalities entered the crematorium to pay their last respects.<br /><br />Even after the last rites were over, the street opposite the crematorium was dotted with hundreds of fans till late evening.</p>
<p>Thousands of fans thronged the rain-soaked streets stretching from the swanky Carter Road, Bandra Bandstand to Pawan Hans Crematorium in Vile Parle, north-west Mumbai to catch a last glimpse of yesteryear actor and India’s first superstar Rajesh Khanna as the cortege wended its way for the final journey, Thursday morning.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The actor who passed away on Wednesday at the age of 69, after battling with cancer for nearly a year, was consigned to flames by his grandson Aarav (actor Akshay Kumar and Twinkle Khanna’s son) at Pawan Hans Crematorium around noon.<br /><br />Decorated with flowers and huge snapshots of the actor, the hearse carrying Khanna’s body encapsuled in a glass cage started its final journey amidst rain battering the roads around 11 am with Khanna’s son-in-laws-actor Akshay Kumar and investment banker Samir Saran guiding the procession comprising close relatives and the late actor’s wife Dimple Kapadia, younger daughter Rinkie and grandson Aarav.<br /><br />The actor’s eldest daughter Twinkle being pregnant was not allowed to accompany the nine-km funeral procession on medical advice.<br /><br />Apart from film maker Karan Johar not many from the film industry were seen in the cortege; but all and sundry from the showbiz world congregated at the cremation site.<br /><br />Fans’ farewell<br /><br />Even as the funeral procession winded its way slowly through the tree-lined lanes, crowds and police punctuated the footpaths all along the way holding aloft photographs of the film star who had ignited a hysteria amongst his fans in sixties and seventies.<br /><br />The police, on many occasions had to resort to a mild-lathi charge in a bid to control the mob spilling over the streets and sky-walks leading to the crematorium entry. <br /><br />The gates were closed and Khanna’s son-in-law and actor Akshay Kumar requested the media: “We want it to be a private affair. Please respect our privacy.”<br /><br />Even as the last rites were being conducted actors Manoj Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Rani Mukherjee, Karan Johar and scores of film industry personalities entered the crematorium to pay their last respects.<br /><br />Even after the last rites were over, the street opposite the crematorium was dotted with hundreds of fans till late evening.</p>
