Bollywood's first superstar, heartthrob of the 60s, Rajesh Khanna had an unmatchable, mad fan following among girls. Before Shah Rukh Khan claimed the title of King of Romance, Rajesh was known as Sapno ka Rajkumar. Rajesh Khanna has millions of women, who would do anything to glimpse their favourite Kaka.
In March 1973, several female fans of Rajesh Khanna felt heartbroken when they learned that their prince charming had found a life partner for him, and got settled with Dimple Kapadia. However, many don't know the reason why Kaka decided to get married to Dimple. Rajesh's big decision to settle down comes from a heartbreak. Before Rajesh and Dimple came together, there was another girl in his life, and their breakup broke the actor to such an extent, that he decided to marry Dimple.
The girl who broke Rajesh Khanna's heart is...
Anju Mahendru. Yes, as per several media reports, Rajesh and Anju were in a very serious, live-in relationship, and their romance somewhere affected newcomer Anju's career in those days. Anju started her career as a model at 14, and she went on to star in popular movies such as Jewel Thief, Bandhan, Intaqam and Dastak.
After Anju and Rajesh went into a relationship, Anju became a devoted girlfriend, and even Rajesh was initially supported towards her career. After staying in a 7-year live-in relationship, Rajesh and Anju broke up. But why?
Anju's non-commitment to marry Rajesh affected their relationship badly
Reportedly, after Rajesh turned 27, his mother wanted him to get married, and the actor proposed to Anju to marry him, but she rejected him. A few years later, he again proposed her to, but Anju didn't change her decision. Anju wanted to focus on her career and wanted to establish herself as a heroine. While Anju was dating Rajesh, her link-up rumours with cricketer Gary Sobers and later Imtiaz Khan attracted headlines. Since Anju rejected Rajesh's proposal several times, the miffed actor decided to end their relationship, and they broke up in 1972.
Despite their ugly past, Anju and Rajesh became friends after 17 years
After Rajesh married Dimple, he didn't speak to Anju for 17 years. However, in 1988, the two buried the hatchet and became friends again. Anju became an emotional strength to Kaka. Anju also became cordial with Dimple, and they were spotted together at family functions. However, Rajesh and Anju still had arguments, and there was a rift between them, until...
Anju stood by Rajesh till his last breath
In an interview with Mumbai Mirror, Mahesh Bhatt revealed that Anju stood by Rajesh till his last breath. He 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 the hospital. Holding back her tears, she told me, ‘My only consolation is that I was holding his hand when he took his last breath’.”
