A file photo of Rajesh Khanna with his actress-wife Dimple Kapadia.
New Delhi:
The Mumbai bungalow formerly owned by actor Rajesh Khanna is about to be demolished, making way for a three or four storey building. Vardan Aashirwad, as the house is now named, was sold to Mangalorean entrepreneur Shashi Shetty last year for a reported sum of Rs 95 crores. For decades, the bungalow was a landmark of Mumbai's Carter Road, regularly thronged by crowds of Rajesh Khanna's fans. Mr Khanna died in July 2012.
A report in the Times of India quotes Mr 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."
Mr Shetty may also revert to the name Aashirwad, which is what Rajesh Khanna christened the bungalow after buying it from actor Rajendra Kumar decades ago for a sum of Rs 3.5 lakhs. When Rajendra Kumar lived there, it was called 'Dimple,' the name of Mr Khanna's future wife Dimple Kapadia. Bollywood legend has it that the house exchanged hands because its original actor owner, battling a series of flop films, considered it unlucky. For Rajesh Khanna, it proved lucky - he bought it, renamed it Aashirwad after one of his films (apparently because Mr Kumar wanted to keep the name Dimple for his new Pali Hill home) and then delivered 15 hits in a row after buying it.
Mr Shetty told Times of India, "The actor's family probably wanted to screen prospective buyers. I was looking for a property, and this one suited my budget. The deal was done directly with the family with a property consultant. The family was gracious during the process."
Rajesh Khanna's estranged wife Dimple Kapadia and their daughters Twinke and Rinke were present when the sale of the property took place last year. A mid-day report at the time quoted Mr Khanna's business partner Prakash Rohra as saying, "We do feel sad to some extent. But ultimately, Kakaji's children are the rightful owners and they have the right to sell the property."
A report in the Times of India quotes Mr 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."
Mr Shetty may also revert to the name Aashirwad, which is what Rajesh Khanna christened the bungalow after buying it from actor Rajendra Kumar decades ago for a sum of Rs 3.5 lakhs. When Rajendra Kumar lived there, it was called 'Dimple,' the name of Mr Khanna's future wife Dimple Kapadia. Bollywood legend has it that the house exchanged hands because its original actor owner, battling a series of flop films, considered it unlucky. For Rajesh Khanna, it proved lucky - he bought it, renamed it Aashirwad after one of his films (apparently because Mr Kumar wanted to keep the name Dimple for his new Pali Hill home) and then delivered 15 hits in a row after buying it.
Mr Shetty told Times of India, "The actor's family probably wanted to screen prospective buyers. I was looking for a property, and this one suited my budget. The deal was done directly with the family with a property consultant. The family was gracious during the process."
Rajesh Khanna's estranged wife Dimple Kapadia and their daughters Twinke and Rinke were present when the sale of the property took place last year. A mid-day report at the time quoted Mr Khanna's business partner Prakash Rohra as saying, "We do feel sad to some extent. But ultimately, Kakaji's children are the rightful owners and they have the right to sell the property."
