'Mera ghar bikwana…'; Rajesh Khanna once refused to sell his 'Aashirwad' bungalow to this actor, even during..., he is…
In Rajesh Khanna's biography, 'Dark Star: The Loneliness of Being Rajesh Khanna', written by Gautam Chintamani, reveals how Bollywood's first superstar bought the magnificent Aashirwad bungalow. But even during his financial crisis, he refused to sell it. Initially, the property was owned by Rajendra Kumar. He then became a jubilee star of the film industry by living in it. His relative was Ramesh Bahl, and he was making a film named 'The Train' with Rajesh Khanna. Interesting story behind Rajesh Khanna's property
One day, Rajesh Khanna was going from Carter Road. When he saw the crowd in front of the bungalow, he asked why there was such a crowd. On this, his driver said that this is Rajendra Kumar's bungalow. That's it, from that day onwards, that bungalow settled in Kakaji's mind. Rajesh Khanna asked Ramesh Bahl to get this bungalow for him somehow. On this, Ramesh Bahl told Rajendra Kumar that there is a lot of noise of vehicles here. People keep coming and going. There is no such thing as privacy; pollution is also very high. There is another bungalow behind this. It is quite big and very peaceful too. In this way, Ramesh Bahl convinced Rajendra Kumar, and then Rajendra Kumar sold that bungalow. Rajesh Khanna took this bungalow from him. Rajesh Khanna named this bungalow Aashirwad. When Rajesh Khanna faced a financial crisis
After the sale of this bungalow, Rajendra Kumar's stardom started fading and Rajesh Khanna's started increasing. Seeing this, Rajendra Kumar also felt that along with the bungalow, his luck also went to Rajesh Khanna. Well, it was in 1999, 2000, and 2001 that Mr Khanna faced financial trouble. He got a notice of one crore, one and a quarter crore rupees from Income Tax. When Salman Khan was interested in buying Rajesh Khanna's property
Meanwhile, one day Rajesh Khanna got a call from Salman Khan. He asked Rumi Jaffery that he had an important work with Rajesh Khanna. Salman Khan requested Rumi to help him purchase Rajesh Khanna's property. It was Sohail Khan who was interested in buying Rajesh Khanna's property. Sohail heard that Rajesh Khanna was selling his bungalow, and he was interested in buying it. Whatever price Rajesh Khanna quoted, Sohail Khan was ready to purchase it. Sohail assured that there will be no negotiation from his side. When Rajesh Khanna came to know about Sohail Khan's plan on buying Aashirwad
Rumi further revealed, 'When Khanna finally spoke, he asked him how he could even think of suggesting such a thing and accused him of stabbing him in his back. 'Kakaji said, 'I consider you a son-in-law aur tu mera ghar bikwana chahta hai… Sadak par lana chahta hai!' I had a tough time explaining that I was merely a postman delivering Sohail Khan's message.'
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India Today
a day ago
- India Today
Does 'Raj' in Yash Raj Films stand for Rajesh Khanna? The partnership that wasn't
Gautam Chintamani's 'Dark Star: The Loneliness of Being Rajesh Khanna', a story told through the actor's cinematic marvels and misses, includes an intriguing anecdote - one that may change how you look at Yash Raj Films (YRF).One of India's biggest film production houses, YRF was founded by Yash Chopra, known for directing classics, and revolutionising Bollywood's idea of romance. And it all began with 'Daag: A Poem of Love' (1973).advertisementStarring Rajesh Khanna, Sharmila Tagore and Rakhee in the lead roles, 'Daag' was Chopra's directorial debut under his own production banner. That Khanna and Chopra didn't collaborate again for over a decade despite the roaring success of the film is a well-known fact. What remains lesser known is the depth of their creative bond before the legendary fallout. As mentioned in 'Dark Star', Chopra had already established himself as a promising director but had worked only under his brother Baldev Raj Chopra's banner, BR Films. Yash Chopra wanted a fresh start, and in Rajesh Khanna, he saw that beginning. According to a section of the industry insiders, their rapport during the making of 'Daag' was so strong that they reportedly decided to co-produce the film. An excerpt from the book reads:The film also went on to create an urban legend that remains one of the Hindi film industry's most romanticized myths. According to a cross-section of people from within the industry, especially Khanna's close confidants, Rajesh Khanna and Yash Chopra had an unofficial agreement that 'Daag' would be a co-production between the two. Even though Yash Chopra, like his brother Baldev Raj Chopra, was officially Yash Raj Chopra, the presence of 'Raj' in Yash Raj Films banner is believed by many to stand for 'Rajesh' (sic). Even with Chopra's proven talent, the project may not have taken shape without Khanna's book further states: "If stories are to be believed, the circumstances in which Yash Chopra started his production house were far from rosy. It had been a decade since he started directing, and all his films had been for BR Chopra's production house, and it was Khanna, along with producer Gulshan Rai, who helped Yash in more ways than one when he decided to go independent (sic)."Khanna's presence in the film helped Yash put the project together with less difficulty than it otherwise might have entailed, because when 'Daag' was beginning to be filmed, Khanna was at the peak of his popularity. The falling out between Khanna and Yash Chopra following 'Daag' that resulted in the actor not featuring in any of the director's ventures over the next decade and a half, and Khanna teaming up with BR Chopra, add to the mystery surrounding the whole issue. But the perceived veracity of his tale depends largely on which side one chooses to view the whole affair from, as the bigger the myth, the more sides a story tends to have in the world of Hindi cinema (sic). What led to the rift between them remains a mystery. Chopra, in later interviews, hinted that he didn't want to deal with Khanna's infamous "tantrums," Khanna, on the other hand, claimed Chopra would make him work unnecessarily long hours."Regardless, the success of 'Daag' should have ideally inspired a creative partnership between Rajesh Jhanna and Yash Chopra, who had seen a successful collaboration with 'Ittefaq' too. But that wasn't meant to be (sic)," Chintamani it was not just Chopra's journey that Khanna played a role in. According to the book, Khanna is believed to have discovered the iconic writing duo Salim-Javed. But like Chopra, they too eventually drifted away.'Dark Star' notes:And while Chopra went on to helm 'Deewar' which, in a way, sealed Khanna's fate, Khanna not only had to be content with seeing Yash collaborate with the very man who would take away his crown, but was also at the receiving end of the wrath of Salim-Javed, the writing duo he practically discovered (sic). Rajesh Khanna, the first superstar of the Hindi cinema, died on July 18, 2012 in Mumbai after a prolonged illness. He is survived by his wife, Dimple Kapadia, and daughters, Twinkle and Rinke Khanna.- EndsMust Watch
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Indian Express
How furious Rajesh Khanna reacted as Sohail Khan wanted to buy his home Aashirwad, Salman Khan offered to work in his film for free: ‘Mujhe sadak pe lana chahta hai'
Rajesh Khanna was among the first superstars of Hindi cinema, but while the highs of Khanna's career were monumental, his lows were equally steep. Gautam Chintamani's biography Dark Star: The Loneliness of Being Rajesh Khanna mentions one such incident from the twilight of his career when the actor faced financial constraints. At that time, it was Salman Khan's younger brother Sohail Khan who expressed interest in buying Khanna's iconic bungalow, Aashirwad. As rumours and speculation about Rajesh Khanna's financial ruin began to circulate, talk also began about the possibility of the actor selling Aashirwad. 'For a better part of the early years of the first decade of the new millennium, troubled clouds had taken over almost every small pocket of sunshine in Khanna's life. His financial state went from bad to worse and there were murmurs that he was finally on the lookout to sell Aashirwad,' an excerpt from the book reads. The book also recounts how a notice from the income tax department — demanding unpaid dues of 'over a crore and a half rupees' — further damaged Khanna's public image and added credibility to the rumours. During this time, screenwriter Rumi Jaffery received a call from Salman Khan, expressing Sohail Khan's desire to purchase Aashirwad. To convince Rajesh Khanna to let go of the bungalow, the Khan family extended several lucrative offers. Along with offering to pay any amount for the property, Salman and his family also agreed to settle Khanna's outstanding income tax dues. On top of that, Salman even offered to act in a Rajesh Khanna production free of cost. Rumi Jaffery, acting as the messenger, took all these offers and approached Rajesh Khanna. However, the veteran actor's reaction was far from welcoming. The book recounts Khanna's response to Rumi's proposal. The screenwriter recalled in the book, 'When Khanna finally spoke, he asked him how he could even think of suggesting such a thing and accused him of stabbing him in his back. 'Kakaji said, 'I consider you a son-in-law aur tu mera ghar bikwana chahta hai… Sadak par lana chahta hai!' I had a tough time explaining that I was merely a postman delivering Sohail Khan's message.'' For Rajesh Khanna, Aashirwad was more than just a bungalow—it was a symbol of his superstardom and legacy. He believed it held emotional value not just for him, but also for his fans. The book mentions, 'He would often be quoted saying, 'A king is a king whether on throne or in exile.'' He considered Aashirwad his legacy. 'He even mused that he would die some day but Aashirwad would live on forever; and till such time, the world would never forget Rajesh Khanna,' the book notes. Years later, when Rajesh met Sohail Khan, he scolded him for trying to 'buy him out' through Jaffery. Rajesh Khanna continued living in Aashirwad alone, as he and his wife Dimple Kapadia were living separately. He breathed his last in 2011 in the beloved bungalow. Later, an industrialist bought the property and demolished it to make way for a high-rise building.
India.com
3 days ago
- India.com
'Mera ghar bikwana…'; Rajesh Khanna once refused to sell his 'Aashirwad' bungalow to this actor, even during..., he is…
Bollywood's first superstar, Rajesh Khanna was popular for his films, controversial life, and his bungalow. You'd be surprised to note that Rajesh Khanna also went through a financial crisis. Yes, it is the same bungalow whose name was 'Aashirwad'. Originally, this bungalow was first bought by Bharat Bhushan, and he became a very big star by living in that bungalow. How did Rajesh Khanna end up buying the Aashirwad bungalow? In Rajesh Khanna's biography, 'Dark Star: The Loneliness of Being Rajesh Khanna', written by Gautam Chintamani, reveals how Bollywood's first superstar bought the magnificent Aashirwad bungalow. But even during his financial crisis, he refused to sell it. Initially, the property was owned by Rajendra Kumar. He then became a jubilee star of the film industry by living in it. His relative was Ramesh Bahl, and he was making a film named 'The Train' with Rajesh Khanna. Interesting story behind Rajesh Khanna's property One day, Rajesh Khanna was going from Carter Road. When he saw the crowd in front of the bungalow, he asked why there was such a crowd. On this, his driver said that this is Rajendra Kumar's bungalow. That's it, from that day onwards, that bungalow settled in Kakaji's mind. Rajesh Khanna asked Ramesh Bahl to get this bungalow for him somehow. On this, Ramesh Bahl told Rajendra Kumar that there is a lot of noise of vehicles here. People keep coming and going. There is no such thing as privacy; pollution is also very high. There is another bungalow behind this. It is quite big and very peaceful too. In this way, Ramesh Bahl convinced Rajendra Kumar, and then Rajendra Kumar sold that bungalow. Rajesh Khanna took this bungalow from him. Rajesh Khanna named this bungalow Aashirwad. When Rajesh Khanna faced a financial crisis After the sale of this bungalow, Rajendra Kumar's stardom started fading and Rajesh Khanna's started increasing. Seeing this, Rajendra Kumar also felt that along with the bungalow, his luck also went to Rajesh Khanna. Well, it was in 1999, 2000, and 2001 that Mr Khanna faced financial trouble. He got a notice of one crore, one and a quarter crore rupees from Income Tax. When Salman Khan was interested in buying Rajesh Khanna's property Meanwhile, one day Rajesh Khanna got a call from Salman Khan. He asked Rumi Jaffery that he had an important work with Rajesh Khanna. Salman Khan requested Rumi to help him purchase Rajesh Khanna's property. It was Sohail Khan who was interested in buying Rajesh Khanna's property. Sohail heard that Rajesh Khanna was selling his bungalow, and he was interested in buying it. Whatever price Rajesh Khanna quoted, Sohail Khan was ready to purchase it. Sohail assured that there will be no negotiation from his side. When Rajesh Khanna came to know about Sohail Khan's plan on buying Aashirwad Rumi further revealed, 'When Khanna finally spoke, he asked him how he could even think of suggesting such a thing and accused him of stabbing him in his back. 'Kakaji said, 'I consider you a son-in-law aur tu mera ghar bikwana chahta hai… Sadak par lana chahta hai!' I had a tough time explaining that I was merely a postman delivering Sohail Khan's message.'
