The Untold Story of Rajesh Khanna and Anita Advani

Hindi cinema’s first superstar, Rajesh Khanna, is remembered for his iconic roles and charm, but his personal life was marked with complexities, especially in his relationships. Married at the age of 30 to 15-year-old Dimple Kapadia, the marriage was fraught with challenges, ultimately leading to the couple living separately. Despite never divorcing Dimple, Rajesh’s relationship with Anita Advani attracted public scrutiny, particularly during the decline of his stardom.

In a recent interview on the YouTube channel Meri Saheli, Anita Advani opened up about her life with Rajesh Khanna and addressed some long-standing rumors regarding his financial struggles. One notable anecdote involved an incident with an income tax officer concerning Rs 45 lakh in overdue taxes.

Anita clarified common misconceptions, stating, “I had heard people say that Rajesh Khanna’s house was sealed and he used to live in his office. This is absolutely wrong; he never lived in his office. The house was never sealed. There was a problem with the income tax in 1991.”

She further explained that Rajesh was largely unaware of his financial documentation and tax responsibilities. “He never used to see the documents, and he didn’t know what income tax was. Whatever his team would tell him to give, he would give that amount. If he was asked to give one lakh, he would call his CA to ask ‘how many zeros should I put.’ Then tax became overdue and he or his team did not pay attention to it. He didn’t even know that. He didn’t know anything about chartered accountancy, and suddenly, he was asked to pay Rs 45 lakh.”

Anita recalled how Rajesh took the initiative to meet the income tax officer concerning the overdue notice, which led to a confrontation. “Then he got into an argument with an income tax officer. He went to personally meet him. The officer threatened him that he would seal his house and also thwart the release of his film,” she revealed. Despite the tension, she confirmed that Rajesh eventually paid the amount, and the home was never sealed.

In her candid discussion, Anita also shared insights about their marriage, which was kept private from the public eye. “We got married privately, but in the film industry, no one talks about such things openly. Everyone says ‘we’re friends’ or ‘we’re in a relationship’ or something else. But it was already reported in the media that I was with him, so neither of us felt the need to go and publicly announce that we were married. We never felt that need.”

Anita Advani’s reflections shed light on the personal challenges faced by Rajesh Khanna during his later years and reveal a side of Bollywood that often remains concealed behind the glitz and glamour.