Not just on-screen but even off-screen, Bollywood a.k.a. B-town is known for romance, love and drama. Some beautiful on-screen love stories are etched in the history of Indian cinema, while the romantic journeys of some off-screen couples have made a forever place in the hearts of their fans. One such love story is of Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia, who had tied the knot in 1973 when the latter was just 16-year-old. Dimple was 15 years younger to Rajesh and it was only a few months before her Bollywood debut when the couple had tied the knot. Dimple and Rajesh were blessed with two daughters, Twinkle Khanna and Rinke Khanna. (Also Read: Rajesh Khanna And Anju Mahendru's Love Story: Didn't Speak To Each Other For 17 Years Post Break-Up)
But apart from Rajesh Khanna’s married life with Dimple Kapadia, his relationship with Bollywood and television actress, Anju Mahendroo too had reigned the headlines back in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Reportedly, Rajesh and Anju were in a live-in relationship for seven years and things went downhill for the couple when he insisted her to quit acting. Anju had supported Rajesh and his dreams like a devoted girlfriend while he had reciprocated his love and care for her by lavishing his earnings upon her. But gradually, cracks started forming in their relationship and in 1972, Rajesh and Anju had parted ways. It was until 1988 when Anju and Rajesh weren’t on talking terms but then their friendship revived and the former was also by his side when he had taken his last breath.
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Born on December 29, 1942, Jatin Khanna a.k.a., Rajesh Khanna or Kaka, became the superstar of the Hindi film industry and was indisputable king of the 70s. To mark his 78th birth anniversary on December 29, 2020, his former ladylove, Anju Mahendroo posted a throwback picture of Kakaji. Sharing a still from one of his films, Anju captioned her post as “No one like you Kakaji!!! Miss you my friend… Happy birthday.”
It was on July 18, 2012, when Rajesh Khanna had taken his last breath, leaving everyone heartbroken. Before his marriage to a young and budding starlet of that time, Dimple Kapadia, Rajesh Khanna was madly-in-love with the beautiful and aspiring model and actress, Anju Mahendroo. On the eighth death anniversary of Rajesh Khanna in July 2020, Anju had shared memory with him and captioned it as "Remember you always Kakaji @Rajesh khanna 8 years!!" Last year, on Rajesh Khanna's seventh death anniversary, Anju had posted a black-and-white picture with Kakaji and had written, "Hamaare baad is Mehfil mein afsaane bayan honge... miss you soo much." (Also Read: Akshay Kumar's Birthday Wish For Wife, Twinkle Khanna Perfectly Depicts How Every Married Life Works)
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In a throwback interview with the Stardust Magazine, Anju Mahendroo had revealed the reason behind their breakup to be "Rajesh was becoming increasingly difficult to get along with. His recent flops had upset him mentally and he was moody, temperamental, irritable. All the time he was so tense...almost a nervous wreck." Just like every coin has two sides, this story too, had a different perspective and Rajesh Khanna had told his side, "Often after a hard day at the studios, I’d return home to find a note saying that she had gone to so-and-so’s party...Or when I would drop in tired and lonely, at her house, I would find her entertaining friends...I’d want to spend evening alone with her."
Due to squabbles and arguments, Rajesh Khanna and Anju Mahendroo had ended their relationship and had moved different ways. Since their breakup, Rajesh and Anju weren't on talking terms until 2012 when the former had breathed his last. In an interview with the Mumbai Mirror, Mahesh Bhatt had revealed that she was there by Kaka's side when he had taken his last breath. Mahesh had said, “After I learnt of Khanna’s death through the media, I thought of Anju because I knew she would be affected by his death. I managed to reach her late at night and learnt that Khanna and Anju had got together in the last years of his life. She used to take care of his medical needs and even accompanied him to hospital. Holding back her tears, she told me, ‘My only consolation is that I was holding his hand when he took his last breathe’.” (Also Read: Rare Photo Of Young Twinkle Khanna With Her Dad, Rajesh Khanna From The Sets Of His Film 'Alag Alag')
We cannot imagine anyone else epitomising 'Babumoshai' than our very favourite, Rajesh Khanna!
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