Mumtaz says she doesn’t know why ‘Akshay Kumar sold’ dad-in-law Rajesh Khanna’s Aashirwad bungalow: ‘It hurt me’

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‘Aashirwad’s demolition hurt me’

During a conversation with Vickey Lalwani, Mumtaz was asked if she was saddened by the demolition of Aashirwad, to which she replied, “Of course, it did hurt me. Even today, when I see that building, I say, ‘This was my hero’s house.’ I am a very emotional being. I was very close to Anju (actor Anju Mahendru) and Kaka (Khanna’s nickname). They were very loving to Mayur as well. Kaka and Anju would take such good care of us, telling us to, ‘Have this, eat that.’ But such things happen in life.”

When Lalwani pointed out that Khanna wanted the bungalow to be turned into a museum following his demise, Mumtaz said, “But once he passed away, I don’t know why Akshay ji (Khanna’s son-in-law, actor Akshay Kumar) sold it off. I still don’t know the reason behind it. I heard there were some internal issues, but I don’t know the details. When you don’t know the truth, you shouldn’t comment.”

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Mumtaz recalled, “The house my sister, Malika, stays in on Carter Road belonged to Meena Kumari. It was very close to Rajesh Khanna’s bungalow. I used to go there (Malika’s house) very often, and hence, we used to visit Aashirwad often. When Anju was with him, she would call me over and make me sit. Even when I got engaged to Mayur, I would take him along. People in the film industry are very large-hearted.” Khanna and Mumtaz worked together in movies such as Do Raaste, Bandhan, Prem Kahani, Aap Ki Kasam, Sachaa Jhutha, and Apna Desh, among others.

About Rajesh Khanna’s Aashirwad

Interestingly, Khanna bought the bungalow from Rajendra Kumar allegedly for Rs 3.5 lakh. Kumar himself purchased it for just Rs 65,000 many years prior to that. However, Kumar’s career soared after purchasing the bungalow, and he went on to deliver many blockbusters while living there.

When Khanna eventually bought it, he wanted to name the bungalow “Dimple,” after his wife and actor Dimple Kapadia. However, Kumar requested that he find another name, as Dimple was also his daughter’s name, and their nearby house was similarly named. Thus, the property became “Aashirwad.”

“Khanna made tens of producers wait endlessly outside the fabled durbar, granting audience only once they had done time. He would emerge in his famous silk lungi-kurta and take his position at a chair that was conspicuously placed a little higher than the others to differentiate between the king and his subjects. Only a select had access to the inner sanctum, and many a time, those waiting outside would tell the ones who passed by to put in a good word,” Gautam Chintamani wrote in his book, Dark Star: The Loneliness of Being Rajesh Khanna.

“Inside, copious amounts of whisky would flow endlessly through the night and those present would sing praises of King Kaka… Those who didn’t agree with him or presented a somewhat contrarian point of view even for the sake of argument, were often shown the door. The manner in which Khanna supposedly banished people from his court was nothing less than high theatrics; he would weigh the words that didn’t meet his approval,” it added.

Following Khanna’s death, Aashirwad was reportedly sold for Rs 90 crore to a businessman, and a high-rise now stands on the land.