The late Rajesh Khanna's 'lady love' Anita Advani, who reportedly had a long-standing live-in relationship with the megastar at his
Bandra bungalow Aashirwad, is extremely upset, hearing the buzz about the latemegastar's bungalow being renamed Vardaan.
`If the rumours are true, it would hurt Kakaji's (Rajesh Khanna's) soul,` quipped Anita Advani, adding that `Aashirwad is synonymous
with Rajesh Khanna`.
She particularly found the name-change talks upsetting, as she said, the name Aashirwad was given to the bungalow by Rajesh
Khanna's father.
`Kakaji used to fondly remember and tell me how the bungalow was named Aashirwad. When they were looking for a new name for the
bungalow, his father had thought for a long time and then suggested the name Aashirwad.
Kakaji has mentioned that his father said, 'You'll be a star and people will write letters and fan mail to you. Whenever they write your
name on the letters, they will write the words - Rajesh Khanna Aashirwad. So in a way, they would always be giving you their Aashirwad
(blessings).' That was the lovely thought behind the name,` reminisced Anita Advani.
Remembering her years with the megastar, Advani remarked, `Kakaji used to say that this (Aashirwad) was the 'most favourite' name
given by his father. The bungalow was also his most prized possession, which he wished to convert into a museum and his last wish
should be fulfilled. In fact, together, over the years, we both designed its interiors with a long-term plan to convert it into a museum.`
Advani further added that she was `perturbed by the sudden name-change talks. What sense does it make? If it's true, it's a weird move
and doesn't sound nice.`
Reacting to claims about her asking for a stake in Aashirwad, Advani's spokesperson Dale Bhagwagar stated, `It's false that Ms Advani
has claimed a stake in the bungalow. But she has maintained that Mr Rajesh Khanna wished to turn it into a museum for his loving
fans.`
Tuesday, August 21, 2012 12:13 IST