Did you know Rajesh Khanna once bought an alleged haunted house hoping to inherit Rajendra Kumar's luck?

Time of India

15-05-2025

Did you know that
's iconic sea-facing home
Aashirwad
was once considered haunted? Long before it became a symbol of superstardom, the bungalow was a crumbling, unwanted property—until two legendary actors turned it into a piece of Bollywood history.
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The
Haunted House
No One Wanted
Back in the 1960s, Carter Road in Bandra wasn't the celebrity hotspot it is today—it was a quiet neighborhood, mostly home to Parsis and Anglo-Indians. Tucked along this sleepy stretch was a dilapidated old bungalow with a spooky reputation. Locals believed it was haunted, and no one dared buy it, even at a throwaway price. But rising star
saw beyond the ghost stories. Eager to own a home by the sea, and undeterred by its eerie past, he took a leap of faith—despite being strapped for cash.
Rajendra Kumar's Risk Pays Off
As recounted in
Seema Sonik Alimchand
's book Jubilee Kumar, the haunted bungalow was priced at Rs 65,000, but Rajendra Kumar had only Rs 10,000 at the time. Eager not to miss the opportunity, he immediately issued a cheque for the amount and handed it to the broker, even though he didn't have the remaining Rs 55,000. To raise the balance, he approached filmmaker BR Chopra, who had recently offered him two films—Dhool Ka Phool and Kanoon.
Although Kumar had agreed to both roles, the payment terms were still being discussed, and he now hoped to finalize them to secure the funds.
Rajendra Kumar set his sights on a house priced at Rs 65,000 but had only Rs 10,000 in hand. To arrange the remaining amount, he turned to filmmaker BR Chopra, who had recently offered him two film roles. Hoping to get an advance, Rajendra asked for Rs 2 lakh, but Chopra agreed to Rs 1.75 lakh.
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With the money secured, Rajendra went on to purchase the house.
Rumours swirled that the house was haunted, but the broker assured Rajendra Kumar it was just a tale spread by a former tenant who hadn't paid rent. Unfazed, Rajendra renovated the bungalow and named it Dimple after his daughter. As his career soared, earning him the nickname 'Jubilee Kumar' for his string of hits, the house became a symbol of his success.
Years later, Rajesh Khanna bought the same house, hoping it would bring him the same good fortune.
Rajesh Khanna's Aashirwad Era
Rajesh Khanna purchased the bungalow for Rs 3.5 lakh but was advised to change its name from Dimple to Aashirwad. According to Seema Sonik Alimchand's book Jubilee Kumar, Rajendra Kumar gently requested the change, explaining that the bungalow had been named after his daughter and that their new home also carried the same name.
He warmly added his blessings, wishing Rajesh immense luck and prosperity in his new home.
Seema Sonik Alimchand's book recounts Rajendra Kumar's reflections on the iconic bungalow, but it was Rajesh Khanna who truly turned Aashirwad into a symbol of stardom. After moving in, he rose to become Hindi cinema's first superstar, with crowds of fans regularly gathering outside his home. As Gautam Chintamani notes in Dark Star: The Loneliness of Being Rajesh Khanna, the move to Aashirwad cemented Rajesh's superstar status.
Following his death in 2012, the legendary sea-facing bungalow was sold to a businessman for a staggering Rs 90 crore.