Rajesh Khanna experienced a massive peak stardom between 1969 to 1972 which probably no other star has experienced. The line “Upar aaka, neeche kaka” defines it all.
There were certain factors that collectively contributed to his success:
A new archetype romantic persona of a vulnerable, stylish and sensitive romantic hero was created. It stood apart from tradition action or rugged archetypes.
Most of his films were musical hits which featured timeless soundtracks powered by the magical combination of Kishore Kumar and R.D. Burman. Music played a very important role in defining the stardom of Rajesh Khanna.
Few of his musical hits during this period were Aradhana, Kati Patang, Amar Prem, Aan Milo Sajna, Mere Jeevan Saathi. Songs were picturised to express his emotional expressions making the music inseparable from his onscreen persona.
Rajesh Khanna emerged as a new hero with distinctive mannerisms. A mass hysteria was created (particularly among his female fans) because of his trademark head-tilting, winking, expressive eyes and poetic dialogue delivery.
His film choices too had a genre variety. He was able to balance lighthearted charm with piogant, tragic undertones that deeply resonated with the common man. Anand, Amar Prem, Do Raaste Khamoshi, Safar were very different from the films mentioned above.
His strong lead pairings and repeated onscreen chemistries with actresses like Sharmila Tagore and Mumtaz cemented audience loyalty.
Lastly, he was able to gain a sort of universal appeal as his charm crossed regional, urban and and rural divides turning him into India's first true mass-adored, “Bollywood Superstar”.
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