Anita Advani met Rajesh Khanna when she was just a teenager, while he was already an established movie star. In a recent interview, she opened up about their first encounter and how their bond evolved over the years. Though Rajesh was not always expressive about his feelings, Anita said she always knew he couldn’t live without her. According to her, he needed her presence constantly, to the extent that when she started a cafe, he created a “havoc,” forcing her to shut it down.
Speaking to Mid-Day, Anita recounted their first meeting. She was a teenager when a friend’s uncle offered to take her to a film set. However, after missing Rajesh Khanna at the shoot, they visited his house and managed to meet him through a connection. Seeing the superstar for the first time left a lasting impression on Anita. She described feeling “very impressed” and shared how a mere look from Rajesh made her “nervous.”
“He asked, ‘Acha, do you want to see the shoot?’ Then he looked and checked me through. I got so nervous, my heartbeat was running amok and I didn’t know what to do. Nevertheless, he abruptly turned. That imprint is still on my mind. I can still visualise it,” she recalled. Though they kept in touch over the years, Anita started dating Rajesh much later in life.
When asked if Rajesh was a romantic at heart, Anita affirmed, “Absolutely.” She explained that while he wasn’t very vocal, his actions spoke volumes. Reflecting on the ways he expressed his love, Anita revealed, “He wouldn’t say I love you all the time. He wasn’t that type. I could make out that he couldn’t live without me. Like if I went out, he would call me 20 times. I opened a cafe and he created havoc,” she said. When the interviewer asked if she had to shut down the cafe because of him, Anita nodded in agreement.
Rajesh Khanna passed away in 2012 at the age of 69. He remained married to his wife, Dimple Kapadia, throughout his life, although they separated a decade after their 1973 wedding. The couple had two daughters, Twinkle and Rinke.
