Bollywood’s first superstar Rajesh Khanna died on July 18, 2012. The actor succumbed to his battle with cancer at the age of 69. His funeral was attended by fans and stars, with a sea of people gathering outside his home in Mumbai to bid him farewell. While his daughters Twinkle Khanna and Rinke Khanna were seen with their mother Dimple Kapadia and Akshay Kumar, the cameras also spotted Anju Mahendru at the funeral. It was at the time of his death that Mahesh Bhatt revealed Anju was by Rajesh’s side as he took his ‘last breath.’
The actress, who was Rajesh’s first love, was in a serious relationship with the actor. Fans and many in the industry were sure they would get married. However, Rajesh went on to marry Dimple Kapadia, leaving the industry in shock. Mahesh Bhatt revealed that in Rajesh’s final few years, he reconnected with Anju and they got so close that she accompanied him to the hospital and was by his side at the time of his death.
“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 breath,’” Mahesh told Times of India back in 2012.
“It’s heartbreaking to see that she had to take a strange route to reconnect with her first love,” he added. In the same report, Rajesh’s friend Bharathi Pradhan said that Anju and Rajesh had reconnected ‘much before’ his illness. “When he bought a new office, Anju used to work with him. He also told me how happy he was when Anju told him that she had bought a car. That is the kind of relationship they shared,” she said.
Rajesh Khanna, lovingly known as Kaka, had the long standing track record of 17 hits in a row. His hits included Aradhana, Doli, Bandhan, Ittefaq, Do Raaste, Khamoshi, Safar, The Train, Kati Patang, Sachaa Jhutha, Aan Milo Sajna, Mehboob Ki Mehendi, Choti Bahu, Anand, Andaz, Maryada and Haathi Mere Saathi. No Bollywood star has managed to break his record till date.
