The tumultuous love story between Bollywood’s first superstar Rajesh Khanna and actress Anju Mahendru captured headlines for years, long before he tied the knot with Dimple Kapadia. Their relationship began in 1966 and lasted through many highs and lows, standing apart from the actor’s other rumored affairs. Unlike most women drawn to Rajesh Khanna’s larger-than-life persona, Anju maintained a level-headed approach which both intrigued and frustrated the superstar, eventually contributing to their separation.
Their romance began at a theatre performance, where Rajesh after winning a talent competition crossed paths with the aspiring model. As his stardom soared, Anju quietly stood by him managing his parties and even running his house Aashirvad, which some say was gifted to her by the actor. However, Rajesh’s rising possessiveness and interference in Anju’s career caused friction with the superstar reportedly sabotaging some of her acting opportunities.
In 1971, Rajesh proposed Anju, but she declined, choosing to focus on her career. Around the same time, Anju was rumored to have grown close to West Indies cricketer Gary Sobers, even accepting a ring from him. This added further strain to her relationship with Rajesh.
This dynamic took a dramatic turn when Dimple Kapadia entered the picture. In an interview with Stardust, Anju recalled her first encounter with Dimple, who was much younger, and referred to them as “uncle” and “aunty.” She soon noticed a shift in Dimple’s behavior, claiming the actress began taking indirect jabs at her while pretending to be innocent.
Tensions escalated during a grand party Rajesh Khanna hosted amid growing rumors of his relationship with Dimple. While Anju was tasked with organizing the event, she intentionally left out the Kapadias from the guest list. Furious, Rajesh personally invited Dimple, leading to a confrontation between the two women. Recalling the incident, Anju said, “At his birthday party, Dimple sarcastically asked if she could come in. Losing my temper, I replied, ‘If you’re invited, then yes. If not, please go back.’”
Shortly after his breakup with Anju, Rajesh fell for Dimple and proposed to her. In 1973, they married, despite their significant age gap. Rajesh was nearly twice the age of 15-year-old Dimple. The couple went on to have two daughters, Twinkle and Rinke Khanna.
