File photo of Bollywood actor and BJP MP Vinod Khanna who passed away, April 27, at a hospital in Mumbai after a prolonged illness. He was 70. (Press Trust of India)

@siliconeer #siliconeer #Bollywood @Bollywood #vinodkhanna #tribute #BigB #AmitabhBachchan – The year was 1969. Amitabh Bachchan was looking for a break in Hindi films; Vinod Khanna had already bagged his first role, reminisces BigB.

“I was struggling to get a role, any role, anywhere,” Bachchan, 74, wrote in an emotional blog, April 28.

“He was working in the Ajanta Arts film, ‘Man Ka Meet’,” Bachchan wrote, recalling his first meeting with Khanna, his old screen partner who died April 27.

Their first meeting was in the office of actor Sunil Dutt, who also gave the two their first screen space together in “Reshma Aur Shera” in 1971.

“A most good looking handsome young man; a body in elegant frame; a swagger in his walk. And a gentle smile as he looked towards me,” Bachchan wrote. “It was 1969 …”

He mourned the end of a 48-year-old friendship with Khanna, recalling his “infectious charm” and “optimistic swagger.”

“His confident charm was infectious. There was always an optimistic swagger about him, a smile, a laugh, a casualness,” Bachchan wrote, punctuating his words with a string of ellipses to indicate his frame of mind.

“Nothing seemed to disturb him, one felt … the relaxed ‘cool’ of today’s times.”

Khanna, he believed, was one of a kind.

“No one walked the way he did…No one had the presence he had in a crowded room…No one could lighten up the surroundings he was in, like him … No one,” Bachchan wrote.

The mega star said soon after their first meeting, they got a chance to work together in Dutt’s production and became life-long friends.

“Spending time in each other’s make-up rooms, sharing our lunch, just biding time and talking of all kinds of talk…

The late shoot pack ups and the beyond midnight drives to Juhu Beach, to just sit with our directors—he to have a drink, and I mine (I used to in those days),” Bachchan wrote.

The actor toasted the “amazing chemistry of the several historic films” they did together, the “association that was so loveable and considerate.”

Bachchan and Khanna worked in several memorable films such as “Hera Pheri,” “Parvarish,” “Amar Akbar Anthony,” and “Muqaddar Ka Sikandar.”

Amitabh Bachchan at the cremation of veteran actor Vinod Khanna in Mumbai, April 27. (Santosh Hirlekar/PTI)

Vinod Khanna’s 10 Most Memorable Roles

In a career spanning five decades, Vinod Khanna starred in over 140 films.

Here’s looking back at 10 of his most memorable performances in Hindi cinema—

Mera Gaon Mera Desh (1971) – Considered to be one of his breakthrough roles, the film saw Khanna portray a negative role of a ruthless dacoit Jabbar Singh. One his dialogues from the movie—“Jabbar Singh ne sirf do hi baatein seekhi hai.

Ek mauke ka faayda uthana aur apne dushman ka naam aur nishaan mita dena” is still a favorite among his fans.

Mere Apne (1971) – In Gulzar’s first directorial venture, Khanna played the role of a gang leader, who often gets into fights with another gang leader, played by Shatrughan Sinha. But finds solace in the grandmother-like embrace of Meena Kumari’s character. Khanna stood out with his performance of a disillusioned young man in the movie.

Achanak (1973) – In the film, loosely based on the controversial real-life K.M. Nanavati murder case in 1958, Khanna played an army man who kills his wife for having an extramarital affair with his best friend.

Imtihan (1974) – Khanna portrayed the role of an idealist man, Pramod who leaves his rich father’s house and takes up the job as a history lecturer at a college. Things go awry for Pramod when the college chairman’s daughter and student, Rita falsely accuses him of sexual harassment.

Hera Pheri (1976) – Directed by Prakash Mehra, Khanna played best friends and partner-in-crime to Amitabh Bachchan in the film. The rock-solid relationship of the two is questioned when Bachchan’s character discovers Khanna’s father may be his father’s murderer.

Amar Akbar Anthony (1977) – Directed by Manmohan Desai, Khanna played the eldest son of Nirupama Roy’s character, who goes missing along with his two younger brothers, played by Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapooor. He is raised as a Hindu and grows up to become an honest police officer Amar Khanna.

Parvarish (1977) – The film is based on the theme that upbringing plays an important role in nurturing one’s character rather than blood relations. Khanna played the role of Kishen, the son of an honest policeman, who strays for a while only to find his way back home.

In this film, Khanna shared screen space with Bachchan, whose character, the son of a dacoit, is raised by Khanna’s father and grows up to be an honest cop.

Qurbani (1980) – In this film, Khanna, who starred alongside Feroz Khan, played the role of a thief. It was one of his major hits just before he left the film industry to join his spiritual guru Osho Rajneesh in the U.S. Incidentally, Feroz also died on April 27, 2009.

Lekin… (1991) – After being stereotyped in the roles of cops and goons, Khanna starred in an interesting role in Gulzar’s “Lekin,” a ghost story. Khanna played a government official who comes across a friendly spirit and plays an important role in fulfilling her purpose.

Dabangg (2010) – He played a stubborn step-father to Salman Khan’s cop in the movie. The film’s most pivotal emotional moments revolve around their troubled relationship.