Rajesh Khanna’s Aashirwad

Many people would not know that superstar of the millennium, the first superstar Rajesh Khanna aka Kaka purchased the sea-facing magnificent bungalow “Aashirwad”, from Rajendra Kumar, popularly known as Jubilee Kumar in the then Bombay Film Industry who gave 25 silver jubilees in a row while staying in “Dimple”,  the earlier name of Aashirwad , a gracious and spacious Bungalow in Bombay’s Carter Road, facing the the wide-open sea.

By instinct and nature Kaka was not an atheist but a sort of an orthodox who always believed in God, a supernatural power that always blessed him.

He would always tell his friends in the industry that there are several, more handsome men, more in height and personality in Bollywood, then how come he’d become a superstar loved and adored by millions of ardent fans globally?

He was skeptical and confused about himself and bore a sort of inferiority complex about him being a star and that was the prime reason that he believed in God. According to him, luck always favored him in his heydays as a superstar for at least two decades in a row.

It is said that when Kaka had first seen the spacious house of Rajendra Kumar at Carter Road, Mumbai’s prime location, he always wanted to have such a splendid house.

There was another hidden reason behind it i.e. it was owned by none other than Jubilee Kumar, the then superstar, and heartthrob of millions.

Kaka had a feeling that Rajendra Kumar became Jubilee Kumar, giving 25 hits in a row that became silver jubblies while staying in this Bungalow, then known as Dimple.  And as such it might be a lucky bungalow, absolutely. Therefore his desperate interest in “DIMPLE” git generated tremendously. But for Rajendra Kumar, it was unlucky bungalow as his downfall had started by then. He wanted to sell it as due to his decline at the box office his financial condition was in jeopardy…

Therefore when Rajendra Kumar was facing financial hardships, Rajesh Khanna got an opportunity to fix a deal.

Considering the Bungalow as a lucky one that made Rajendra Kumar Jubilee Kumar, Kaka wasted no time to purchase this house.

It was Hathi Mere Sathi’s, first heavy advance installment that helped Kaka to finalize the deal with Rajendra Kumar.

When the film producer of Hathi Mere Sathi from South approached Kaka to do his film, the latter wasn’t interested to work with animals. But he acted because he was in need of money to buy Rajendra Kumar’s house. Kaka had put a condition that if he was given half of the signing amount in advance, he would do the film. The producer readily agreed as Rajesh Khanna’s popularity those days was on its peak. Rajesh Khanna got Rs 6 lakhs in advance and bought Dimple and later named as Aashirwad.

And undoubtedly Aashirwad gave Kaka name, fame and excessive wealth, till his death.

Though Kaka also confronted the worst period of his life in this house but till Kaka’s unfortunate death it was always dear and the most adored asset of his life.

Rajesh Khanna’s last wish, though not declared officially, was to convert Aashirwad to Super Star Rajesh Khanna Museum. His most loved and adored prized possession was not destined to be so. His family against the latter’s heartiest wishes sold it after his demise. His fans say Kaka’s soul definitely must be haunting this house, which was abruptly and arbitrarily sold against his wishes.

Today there is a multistorey building in place of Aashirwad thus crushing his last hearty wish to turn it into Super Star Rajesh Khanna Museum; the magnificent bungalow which Kaka cherished the most.