Late superstar Rajesh Khanna won the hearts of many women in his prime, but for his estranged wife, veteran actress Dimple Kapadia, he remains the "greatest actor" ever.

"If there has to be one favourite actor of mine, it has to be Rajesh Khanna. He was in fact the greatest actor alive," Dimple said in a statement.

Fondly known as Kaka in film circles, Rajesh Khanna began his career with "Aakhri Khat" in 1966. He devoted five decades to filmdom and enjoyed unmatched superstardom with hits like "Aradhana", "Do Raaste", "Safar" and "Anand".

Between "Aradhana" in 1969 and "Prem Kahani" in 1975, he was hailed for his talent and had a huge fan following.

The actor passed away in July last year following prolonged illness. He was 69

. Dimple stood by him and cared for him till the end, and earlier this year, she even requested Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajeev Shukla to name a road after Rajesh Khanna.

The 56-year-old is currently busy promoting her forthcoming film "What The Fish", which releases Dec 13. The movie, directed by Gurmmeet Singh, features her in a comic avatar.