When Anju Mahendru asked Dimple Kapadia to leave Rajesh Khanna’s birthday party: ‘She pretended to be innocent but…’

The love life of Bollywood’s first superstar, Rajesh Khanna, was nothing short of a film script. But one chapter that still grabs attention is his complicated relationship with actress Anju Mahendru and how things turned awkward when Dimple Kapadia entered the picture.

A Love That Started with Promise
As reported by News 18, Rajesh Khanna met Anju Mahendru in 1966, soon after winning a talent contest. While he rose to fame, Anju supported him, even managing his home ‘Aashirvad’. Some say he gifted it to her. But as Rajesh became a superstar, he grew possessive. He reportedly interfered in her career and disliked her focus on work. Though he proposed in 1971, Anju refused, choosing her career instead. This decision created a rift and marked a major turning point in their relationship.

When Anju Was Linked to Gary Sobers
Around this time, Anju was also said to be getting close to West Indies cricket legend Gary Sobers. The two reportedly met through a mutual friend, and Sobers even proposed to her. Anju accepted his ring, and the news made headlines. This only added more tension to her already-strained relationship with Rajesh.


The Dimple Chapter Begins

After their breakup, Rajesh found love again, this time with a rising young actress, Dimple Kapadia. She was just 15 at the time, nearly half his age.
Dimple's First Meeting with Anju

Anju once shared how things changed between her and Dimple Kapadia after their first meeting. Recalling the moment in an interview with Stardust, she said, “When Rajesh and I met her for the first time, Dimple addressed us as uncle and aunty and then I suddenly saw a shift in her attitude. She pretended to be innocent, but she would take indirect digs at me.”

The tension between them wasn’t hidden. Although Dimple was now Rajesh’s wife, Anju was still a part of his life in some way—and that created uncomfortable moments.


The Party That Turned Sour

One of the most talked-about incidents from this love triangle happened during Rajesh Khanna’s birthday celebration. Rajesh asked Anju to invite guests for the party, but she deliberately left out the Kapadias. This naturally didn’t go down well with Rajesh, who then called Dimple personally to apologise and invited her himself.

At the party, Dimple didn’t hold back and took a swipe at Anju. As Anju recalled, “On Rajesh Khanna’s birthday party, she sarcastically asked me if she could come in. I also lost my cool and ended up saying,‘If you are invited, then sure, if not, please go back.’”

Dimple and Khanna married in 1973, right before the release of her debut film, ‘Bobby’. Together, they had two daughters, Twinkle and Rinke Khanna. Though Rajesh and Anju had parted ways, their emotional ties were never fully severed. Even years later, Anju was seen visiting Rajesh during his final days, sparking whispers that theirs was a bond too deep to fade. Their love story may not have had a fairytale ending, but it remains one of Bollywood’s most talked-about and bittersweet sagas.



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