Anita Advani claims private marriage with Rajesh Khanna, recalls rituals, exclusion from funeral, and long association.
Anita Advani, who was once very close to late Bollywood superstar Rajesh Khanna, has now claimed that they were privately married. Khanna, remembered for his legendary career, his marriage to actor Dimple Kapadia, and their eventual separation, has always drawn public curiosity about his personal life. Advani’s revelation now adds a fresh twist to the already layered story of the actor’s life.
Speaking with Meri Saheli, Advani revealed that she and Khanna married quietly inside their home. She said they performed rituals in their small temple. She had a mangal sutra made of gold with black beads. Khanna made her wear it, applied sindoor, and told her, “From today, you are my responsibility.” She explained that in the film industry such unions often remained private, with people choosing to call themselves friends or partners rather than publicly married.
Read More: Sarah Jessica Parker Explains Why She Won’t Rewatch Sex and the City
The claim raises questions because Khanna never legally divorced Dimple Kapadia. This leaves doubts about the legal standing of Advani’s marriage. She also stated that she had known Khanna before Kapadia entered his life. She admitted that she did not marry him at that time because she was very young, and eventually, she returned to Jaipur.
Advani also spoke about the pain of being kept away from Khanna’s final rites in 2012. She recalled that bouncers were stationed to stop her from attending. She said she learned this from friends and was even warned not to try. Despite pressure from her staff and friends to attend, she refused. Some suggested she should carry a camera to capture events, but she found the idea inappropriate. Instead, she held her own chautha for him at a temple.
She reflected on the indignity of being excluded. Advani said it was beneath her to go after such treatment, and beneath others to call bouncers for her. She stressed that she would never create a scene at Kakaji’s funeral. She called the event more of a show than a solemn ritual.
Anita Advani worked in films such as Daasi (1981), Aao Pyaar Karen (1983), and Saazish (1988). Rajesh Khanna, remembered as the first superstar of Indian cinema, passed away in Mumbai on July 18, 2012, after a prolonged illness while now he is survived by Dimple Kapadia and their daughters, Twinkle and Rinke Khanna.
Advani’s account highlights a hidden side of his life, marked by affection, secrecy, and painful exclusion. Her words continue to keep Rajesh Khanna’s personal story alive more than a decade after his passing.
