Checking Out His Aashirwad On Rajesh Khanna's Birth Anniversary
'Life is supposed to be big, not long', 'We tend to miss these small moments of happiness waiting for some unknown big thing' and 'I hate tears'. These are some of the immortal dialogues by Indian film industry's undisputed first superstar, late Rajesh Khanna. These dialogues truly depict Khanna's king-size life and a style that conquered millions of hearts. Such was his appeal that his marriage to veteran actor Dimple Kapadia notoriously led female fans to cut their wrists or even commit suicide. Khanna, who gave 15 consecutive hits from 1969-71, still rules the hearts of his fans for his unique life and style.
Like his life and films, another famous thing about Khanna is his Carter Road bungalow in Mumbai, popularly known as 'Aashirwad' (A report on IB Times noted that the bungalow was quietly renamed as Vardan Aashirwaad by his daughters after his death in 2012) , which is a landmark Arabian sea-facing property and has been a major attraction for his crazy fans.
On his 73rd birth anniversary, PropGuide look at some of the interesting facts about his dream home:
He bought the 603 sq mt bunglow for Rs 3.5 lakh from actor Rajendra Kumar in the late 1960s. While the bungalow has a limited number of bedrooms, they are all spacious. Its first floor was renovated to create a six-seater theatre, a hall-sized bathroom, a jacuzzi and walk-in wardrobes, according to a Business Standard report. (YouTube)
After Khanna's death on July 18, 2012, the property was transferred to his daughters, Twinkle and Rinke Khanna. After that, the bungalow has reportedly been sold off for Rs 95 crore to Allcargo Logistics's Founder Shashi Shetty. Many believe that the prime property was sold for much less than its actual worth. A June 2015 report in The Times of India quoted Shetty as saying: "We've to redevelop the property since the existing structure is more than 50 years old. The process will start in a couple of months." Anita Advani, Khanna's childhood friend and live-in partner during his last days, told India TV that the late actor once said: “Agar Rs 500 crore mile toh bhi nahi bechunga.” (I would not sell the bungalow even if someone paid Rs 500 crore) . This was in response to an offer of Rs 150 crore when Khanna was alive. Khanna reportedly wanted his house to be turned into a museum after his death. There were reports that Khanna's bungalow was haunted and that's why it traded at a discount. However, the property certainly brought huge success to the residents, Bharat Bhushan, Rajendra Kumar and Rajesh Khanna in that order.
