Latest news with #Aashirwad
Indian Express
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- 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
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- 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.'
Time of India
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Salman Khan told Rumy Jaffery that Sohail Khan wanted to buy Rajesh Khanna's bungalow Ashirwad when he was in debts, he refused: 'Tu mera ghar bikwana...'
, remembered as India's first true superstar of Hindi cinema. One has heard stories of his fame and how fans went crazy for him, especially women. But just as Khanna rose to stardom, his downfall also followed. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now He went through some tough times, financially, and that has been mentioned in his biography. With 17 consecutive hits, a massive fan base, and unmatched stardom, he ruled Bollywood through the late '60s and '70s. But his success didn't last forever. During this time, there were rumours in the industry that Khanna wanted to sell off his bungalow. In Gautam Chintamani's biography Dark Star: The Loneliness of Being Rajesh Khanna, the actor's declining financial condition is detailed. One excerpt reads, "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... The news that the income tax department had slapped a notice for arrears of over a crore and a half rupees on him finally made it all too true." At that time, screenwriter Rumi Jaffery recalled receiving a call from . The superstar said his younger brother was interested in buying Aashirwad. Not only did Sohail offer to pay any amount Rajesh Khanna quoted, but the Khans also promised to clear the pending income tax dues. To top it off, Salman even offered to act in a film for Khanna's production house for free. Jaffery believed it was a generous and helpful offer and took the message to Khanna. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now But instead of gratitude, Jaffery was met with cold silence. '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,'' Jaffery recalled in the book. Khanna refused to let go of Aashirwad, insisting it was more than just property—it was 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 says. He continued living in that house until his last days—alone, but proud. During his final days, Khanna lived in Ashirwad only and breathed his last there. He was living separately from his wife and was staying with Khanna. 'He would often be quoted saying, 'A king is a king whether on throne or in exile,' and in that context believed that Aashirwad wasn't anything less than his legacy that would outlast his lifetime.' Even years later, when Sohail Khan ran into Khanna and introduced himself as Salim Khan's youngest son, Khanna reportedly scolded him for trying to 'buy him out' through Jaffery. The incident, as the book reveals, stayed with everyone involved—especially Rajesh Khanna. Earlier, in an interview, Khanna's costar Sharmila Tagore had mentioned that his downfall happened because of him only. He did not handle his stardom well, she had said.
Time of India
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
When Dimple Kapadia slammed people for doubting Rajesh Khanna's avoidance of her in his Rs 600 crore will: 'Don't you dare try to extract nasty...'
Rajesh Khanna held a magnetic charm that captivated millions, especially his female admirers. Some even expressed their adoration in dramatic gestures, like writing him letters in blood or symbolically marrying his photograph. In 1973, his female fans were shocked to hear about Rajesh Khanna's marriage to 16-year-old debutante Dimple Kapadia . The couple went on to become parents to two daughters—Twinkle Khanna and Rinke Khanna . After his demise, a major news story made it to the front seat about the absence of Dimple's name from his will. But Dimple had a savage reply for those concerns. Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia's marriage life After nearly a decade together, Dimple and Rajesh drifted apart and separated in 1982. Though they never divorced, their relationship had reached its end. Dimple eventually moved out in 1984, later acknowledging that marrying a superstar had not been the fairy tale she had envisioned. Rajesh Khanna's once-unstoppable career began to slow down. The actor reportedly found it difficult to cope with the decline in stardom, with several of his films not faring well at the box office during the late 70s and 80s. This phase took a toll on his personal life as well. Dimple tried to hold their relationship together but eventually accepted its fate. Rajesh Khanna's alleged live-in partner When Dimple Kapadia once said 'don't you dare try to extract any nasty statements from me about Kaka aka Rajesh Khanna' Before his marriage to Dimple, Rajesh had been in a steady relationship with actress Anju Mahendru. Though the relationship ended, it was a significant part of his early personal life. Rajesh was enjoying his solitude after his separation from Dimple, but a new controversy emerged during that period. Anita Advani, who claimed to have been Rajesh Khanna's live-in partner during his final years, stirred headlines when she asserted her right to his estate. Referring to herself as his "surrogate wife", Anita insisted she had cared for the ailing actor, looked after his household, and even observed Karwa Chauth fasts for him. She claimed that her role in his life was not just emotional but also legal, and she sought a share of his property. Rajesh Khanna's demise Rajesh Khanna passed away on July 18, 2012, after battling cancer. A month prior to his death, he had reportedly prepared and signed his will. At the time of his death, his estate was estimated to be around Rs 600 crores, including his legendary sea-facing bungalow Aashirwad. Dimple Kapadia about Rajesh Khanna's will However, his entire wealth was bequeathed solely to his daughters, Twinkle and Rinke. Not a share was allotted to Dimple, and it raised questions from media circles and among fans. Dimple has always spoken of Rajesh with great respect. In a 2017 interview, she recalled: 'Kaka (Rajesh Khanna) has been consistently misunderstood. He's a wonderful guy. I was far too young and impetuous when we married. We may have separated, but I still have tremendous regard and love for him. So don't you dare try to extract any nasty statements from me. Kaka's superstardom had to be experienced to be believed.'
India.com
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
Neither Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, nor Ranbir Kapoor, this actor's bungalow in Mumbai was tourist spot, his name is...
Bollywood celebs and their lavish bungalows are the key highlight of Mumbai, apart from other things. From Shah Rukh Khan's Mannat to Amitabh Bachchan's Jalsa and Salman Khan's Galaxy Apartments, Mumbai has a lot to offer to those who come as tourists. However, do you know that in spite of these famous places in the city of dreams, there stands another iconic bungalow of a legendary actor, which is known as the actual tourist hub? Yes, while this may sound shocking, it is the reality! Every time fans gathered outside this actor's bungalow, he ensured not to leave them empty-handed. He often came out and waved to his fans. However, after this actor passed away, the place that was once filled with laughter and happiness turned into ruins. If you are wondering who we are talking about, then the actor is none other than the late legendary star Rajesh Khanna and his bungalow Aashirwad. Fondly called Kaka, Rajesh Khanna was the first actor to be called a superstar in Indian cinema. He left an unforgettable mark in the industry, which is hailed even years after his passing. Rajesh Khanna's stardom was unmatched, even till date. Recently, a video of Kaka has been doing rounds on the internet, where he himself is talking about the craze he enjoyed among fans. In the video, Khanna revealed that when he was in the industry, his home was on the tourist map. Fans loved to visit his place just to get a glimpse of the actor. In the video, he said that if he was at home, he would also meet his fans. Take a look here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by प्रभांशु (@masoomshishu) Born on 29 December 1942 in Amritsar, Rajesh Khanna ruled the film industry alone for two decades. He joined theatre at the age of 10 and later made his Bollywood debut in 1966 with the film Aakhri Khat. In the first three years of his career, he delivered 15 hit films and became the first superstar of the industry. However, he passed away on 18 July 2012 due to cancer.
