Akshay Kumar officially announces Rajesh Khanna's death

Mumbai, July 18 (ANI): Bollywood superstar Rajesh Khanna's son-in-law and actor Akshay Kumar officially announced the former's demise on Wednesday afternoon.

"I have come to inform you that my father-in-law Rajesh Khanna is no more with us," Kumar told reporters here.

Khanna breathed his last in his Mumbai residence after prolonged illness. Reports said he was battling cancer. He was 69.

Khanna was admitted to hospital several times recently. He was discharged from Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital on Tuesday.

Khanna's health started deteriorating in April this year when the actor stopped taking food and complained of exhaustion and weakness.

On June 20, it was reported that Khanna had stopped taking food. But the next day, he emerged at the balcony of his home 'Aashirwad' in Carter Road in Bandra and had waved to his fans to assure that he was fine.

But on June 23, he had to be admitted to hospital due to exhaustion and weakness.

Khanna had recently appeared in his first TV ad for for Havell's fan, directed by R Balki.

Rajesh Khanna was born Jatin Khanna on December 29, 1942 in Amritsar. He was also a film producer and a politician.

He appeared in 163 feature films. He was the lead actor in 128, including 106 as the solo lead hero. He won three Filmfare Best Actor Awards and was nominated for the same fourteen times.

He received the maximum BFJA Awards for Best Actor (Hindi) - four times and was nominated 25 times. He was awarded the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005.

Khanna made his debut in films in 1966 with Aakhri Khat and rose to prominence with his performances in films like Raaz, Baharon Ke Sapne, Ittefaq and Aradhana and Anand.

He is survived by his estranged wife Dimple Kapadia and two daughters Twinkle and Rinkie. (ANI)