Anita Advani recalls falling for Rajesh Khanna as a teenager, says the superstar left a deep impression on her heart: ‘I couldn't accept another man touching me'

Indian Express

10 hours ago

Rajesh Khanna's relationship with Anita Advani is no secret to the public. Over the years, Anita has spoken candidly in interviews about her bond with the late superstar, and most recently chronicled their dynamic in a book. Now, in a heartfelt conversation on REEL Meet REAL, Anita revisited how it all began, back when she was just a teenager.
'I was a teenager when I first met him, and it was a whirlwind romance between us at a very young age. He left such a deep impression on my heart and mind that no one else ever appealed to me. Then destiny played its part, we kept bumping into each other. And finally, when everyone in his life had gone, when there was no one from his family around, we reconnected. After that, we lived together for about 12 years,' she said.
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Reflecting on the early phase of their bond, Anita Advani spoke about how young and emotionally vulnerable she was at the time. 'I couldn't have asked for a better man than him. He was one in a million. The thing is, I was in a relationship with him at a very impressionable age. I came from a conservative family, so I thought he was my everything, When I grew up, people pursued me, but I couldn't see anyone else. I was just caught up in that comparison. I couldn't accept another man touching me, it became a mental block,' she shared.
Anita also recently recalled the pain of being excluded from Rajesh Khanna's chautha (a traditional prayer meeting held on the fourth day after someone's passing), a moment that added to the emotional weight of their history.
'They had bouncers stationed there to stop me from coming in, I learned this from friends. When I told them I planned to go, they warned me I wouldn't be allowed inside. Still, they said, 'If anything happens, we're here for you.' But I was stunned and asked, 'Why all this?' Some of my staff and close friends encouraged me to go, even suggested I carry a camera to record what they do. But I thought, how can I do such a thing on such a solemn day? So I didn't go. I held my own chautha for him alone at a temple,' she revealed.