Showing posts with label Rajesh Khanna bungalow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rajesh Khanna bungalow. Show all posts
Bombay High Court restrains media from calling Rajesh Khanna's Ashirwad bungalow 'haunted'
2:17 PM
THE TIMES OF INDIA (July 30, 2026)
The Bombay High Court has restrained media organizations and online platforms from referring to the 'Ashirwad' bungalow in Bandra, once owned by late Bollywood superstar Rajesh Khanna, as "cursed," "haunted," or "unlucky".
Justice Arif S Doctor, in an interim order passed on July 24, said that such descripitons were prima facie defamatory, and violated the plaintiff's fundamental right to live peacefully and in dignity.
Shashi Shetty, a businessman who purchased the iconic bungalow some years ago, moved the court after coming across numerous articles, posts and videos on the internet that labeled the property as "haunted," "cursed," and "ill-omened".
Senior advocate Birendra Saraf, representing Shetty, told the court that he constructed a new house after demolishing the original bungalow, but did not change the name. The new house is also called Ashirwad, the lawyer said.
The petitioner pointed out that the website Indiadotcom recently published an article titled '19 Real Haunted Houses in India That Will Give You A Cold Sweat', in which Ashirwaad Bungalow was also listed.
The judge held that the owner was "wholly justified" in seeking an interim relief. "The material, in my prima facie view, is clearly defamatory of the plaintiff so as to suggest that he lives in a haunted and so-called cursed bungalow," the order noted.
Further, it would also clearly impinge upon the Shetty's "right to live peacefully and in dignity", the HC said. The judge also noted that none of the respondents appeared before the court to justify or defend their publications.
"Therefore, in my prima facie view, clearly such publications would be wholly unjustified and in the nature of creating sensationalism, at the cost to the plaintiff and for no fault of his," the court held.
The ad-interim relief will continue until the next hearing on August 21, 2026.
Rajesh Khanna’s diehard fan shares untold stories of the superstar
8:02 AM
On the superstar’s sixth death anniversary, one of his biggest fans, Vilas Ghate recalls moments spent with his screen idol
Debarati Sen (BOMBAY TIMES; July 18, 2018)
Rajesh Khanna is often referred to as India’s first superstar. Such was his craze in the early seventies, that words like superstar and phenomenon were used to describe him. Needless to add, his fans continue to celebrate his life six years after he passed away on July 18, 2012. One such die-hard fan being Vilas Ghate, who’s also a collector of the iconic actor’s memorabilia. His sole aim in life is to create a museum on his idol. His devotion to Khanna is enhanced by his thorough knowledge of not only documented moments of his life, but also the unchronicled ones. For instance, not many are aware that the actor wore a kada made of African elephant hair. “In those days there weren’t any bans or restrictions on stuff like that,” says Vilas, who gives us more insights on the actor.‘I WAS PRESENT AT THE SHOOT WHEN KAKAJI DELIVERED THE ICONIC ‘PUSHPA, I HATE TEARS’ DIALOGUE’
Vilas was all of 10 when his mamaji (maternal uncle) took him to watch Rajesh Khanna’s shooting. “Shakti Samanta’s cameraman, Robin Kar, was a friend of my mamaji. He would frequent Natraj Studios in Andheri, so one day he took me along to meet my idol. There was no looking back after that.” His eyes well up with tears as he recalls the shot he was a witness to that night. “It was around 7 pm. I saw Kakaji (as he was fondly called in the film industry) deliver the iconic ‘Pushpa, I hate tears’ dialogue from Amar Prem (1972), right in front of me.” In fact, there have been times when Kakaji, on seeing Vilas frequent his studio so often, would ask him sternly, “School se dandi maar ke toh nahi aaya?”
ON THE SETS OF AJANABEE“I saw the shoot of the song, Bheegi Bheegi Raaton Mein from Ajanabee (1974). The entire shoot was completed in a day. Kakaji came at 10 am and by 4:30 pm it was done. The shot had raindrops falling on his shirt, so they had made three identical shirts like that. When one got wet, he’d wear another while the first was being ironed. He had a yellow Turkish towel that he used to wipe the water off his hair. He would throw it at me and I’d hold it till he whistled for it. The whole day went by like that.” Vilas was a teenager then — only 17 — and said that he had the time of his life watching the superstar in action.
Vilas has around 5,000 write-ups, paper cuttings, multiple LPs, CDs, over 60 books written on the superstar, rare autographed photographs, 80 autographed cards (some of which were given to him by Kakaji), the first circular poster of one of his films (Aradhana, 1969) and even his janam kundali. Vilas has 122 original CDs out of the 165 released films that Khanna starred in. His collection boasts of many firsts —the first autographed postcard of the film star, the first postage stamp on him and more.
AT HOME WITH KAKAJI
It was the first day of Diwali in 2008 when the late actor invited Vilas to his home for the first time. Vilas reminisces, “He invited my family and me to his other home in Lokhandwala, as there was some renovation work going on in Aashirwad. The time spent with him has been most memorable.”
Meet the billionaire who bought Rajesh Khanna's bungalow
7:50 AM
For the first time, Shashi Shetty reveals how he snagged the Rs 85 crore deal to buy Bollywood's iconic superstar's house and the plans for his new home
Aditi Saxena (BOMBAY TIMES; September 5, 2014)
A change of guard has taken
place at an iconic Carter Road bungalow, one which housed Hindi
cinema's first superstar.
Walk into the late Rajesh Khanna's home Vardan Aashirwad (in 2012, the bungalow was renamed from Aashirwaad) and you notice that the security guards are from a B2B logistics company. That's because the bungalow has changed hands after 44 years, to a brand new owner logistics company founder, Shashi Kiran Shetty.
The deal was signed on August 28 for Rs 85 crore between Shetty and Khanna's legal heirs, his daughters Twinkle (married to actor Akshay Kumar) and Rinkie (married to London-based investment banker Samir Saran). As we get a first look at the iconic bungalow, furniture is still being moved out, including a large, wrapped Krishna painting. “I told the family they can take whatever they want from the house, except one painting of Mr Khanna by Prithvi Soni. I want to keep that,“ says Shetty . Khanna had bought Aashirwaad for Rs 3.5 lakh in 1970 from fellow actor Rajendra Kumar.
SEA-FACING BUNGALOW
Shetty is excited over the legacy of his new home, yet buying this property in Bandra wasn't his first choice. “I was keen to move to South Bombay. But I have been living in Bandra since 1998 and my family didn't want to leave,“ says Shetty , as he sits on a creamcoloured armchair in the living room.“This is where Rinkie sat after we signed the deal on August 28. It used to be Khanna's seat.“
Mangalore-born Shetty moved to Mumbai in 1978 (Kaka was already Bollywood's reigning superstar by then) and founded the Rs 4,300-crore company in 1993. His heart set on owning a seafacing bungalow, Shetty began his search this year at Worli. “This property was not on the market. It was being managed privately. In May, I took a look around. It was amazing because of the location and the legendary people who lived here.“
LEGAL WRANGLE
Since Khanna's death two years ago, there was the problem of his alleged live-in companion Anita Advani staking a claim on the bungalow. The legal battle between Advani and Khanna's daughters is still on. “I wanted to be sure that there were no encumbrances from her. I don't know what right she has over his inheritance, nor do I want to know,“ says Shetty.
Backed by a private wealth management firm, Shetty met Akshay Kumar and his family at their Juhu residence for two hours, just before Shetty left for the FIFA World Cup in Brazil. “We spoke about the property only for 10 minutes. I proposed to buy it, he made his offer. I made a counter offer and we decided to close the deal somewhere in between.“
No advance changed hands and the deal was sealed with a handshake.
VAASTU COMPLIANT
Though he was sold on the location, Shetty did consult with his family and friends, including Suniel Shetty, Akshay Kumar's colleague and buddy. A Vaastu consultant also gave the nod, given that Khanna rose to great heights, but also suffered a sharp downfall in that house. “You can't blame a property for ups and downs in anyone's life. The bungalow has enough sunlight coming in and the view is breathtaking.“
Vardan Aashirwad's new owner admits he isn't a Bollywood addict or a Rajesh Khanna fan. But Shetty recalls watching Khanna's famous hits like Haathi Mere Saathi, Aradhana, Kati Patang and Anand. The bungalow is not in the best shape today and Shetty reveals he may demolish it and build his home from scratch. “Even if we live here, there will be a lot of work done.“
And will the name Vardan Aashirwad stay? “It makes sense to keep it, doesn't it?“ says he.
Walk into the late Rajesh Khanna's home Vardan Aashirwad (in 2012, the bungalow was renamed from Aashirwaad) and you notice that the security guards are from a B2B logistics company. That's because the bungalow has changed hands after 44 years, to a brand new owner logistics company founder, Shashi Kiran Shetty.
The deal was signed on August 28 for Rs 85 crore between Shetty and Khanna's legal heirs, his daughters Twinkle (married to actor Akshay Kumar) and Rinkie (married to London-based investment banker Samir Saran). As we get a first look at the iconic bungalow, furniture is still being moved out, including a large, wrapped Krishna painting. “I told the family they can take whatever they want from the house, except one painting of Mr Khanna by Prithvi Soni. I want to keep that,“ says Shetty . Khanna had bought Aashirwaad for Rs 3.5 lakh in 1970 from fellow actor Rajendra Kumar.
SEA-FACING BUNGALOW
Shetty is excited over the legacy of his new home, yet buying this property in Bandra wasn't his first choice. “I was keen to move to South Bombay. But I have been living in Bandra since 1998 and my family didn't want to leave,“ says Shetty , as he sits on a creamcoloured armchair in the living room.“This is where Rinkie sat after we signed the deal on August 28. It used to be Khanna's seat.“
Mangalore-born Shetty moved to Mumbai in 1978 (Kaka was already Bollywood's reigning superstar by then) and founded the Rs 4,300-crore company in 1993. His heart set on owning a seafacing bungalow, Shetty began his search this year at Worli. “This property was not on the market. It was being managed privately. In May, I took a look around. It was amazing because of the location and the legendary people who lived here.“
LEGAL WRANGLE
Since Khanna's death two years ago, there was the problem of his alleged live-in companion Anita Advani staking a claim on the bungalow. The legal battle between Advani and Khanna's daughters is still on. “I wanted to be sure that there were no encumbrances from her. I don't know what right she has over his inheritance, nor do I want to know,“ says Shetty.
Backed by a private wealth management firm, Shetty met Akshay Kumar and his family at their Juhu residence for two hours, just before Shetty left for the FIFA World Cup in Brazil. “We spoke about the property only for 10 minutes. I proposed to buy it, he made his offer. I made a counter offer and we decided to close the deal somewhere in between.“
No advance changed hands and the deal was sealed with a handshake.
VAASTU COMPLIANT
Though he was sold on the location, Shetty did consult with his family and friends, including Suniel Shetty, Akshay Kumar's colleague and buddy. A Vaastu consultant also gave the nod, given that Khanna rose to great heights, but also suffered a sharp downfall in that house. “You can't blame a property for ups and downs in anyone's life. The bungalow has enough sunlight coming in and the view is breathtaking.“
Vardan Aashirwad's new owner admits he isn't a Bollywood addict or a Rajesh Khanna fan. But Shetty recalls watching Khanna's famous hits like Haathi Mere Saathi, Aradhana, Kati Patang and Anand. The bungalow is not in the best shape today and Shetty reveals he may demolish it and build his home from scratch. “Even if we live here, there will be a lot of work done.“
And will the name Vardan Aashirwad stay? “It makes sense to keep it, doesn't it?“ says he.
Rajesh Khanna's 'haunted' bungalow sold for Rs 95 cr?
9:00 AM
Varun Singh (MID-DAY; July 25, 2014)
The home where Hindi cinema’s first superstar lived has been sold, but for a price that doesn’t quite match up to the glamour of its swank locale or its elite owner. Vardan Aashirwad, the iconic Carter Road bungalow where Rajesh Khanna spent his last days two years ago, has been sold for somewhere between Rs 90-95 crore, sources claim.
They say the sum is lighter than one would have expected because of the relatively small plot size of the property, and, more uncannily, the recent reports that the house is haunted. Real estate sources from Bandra said the deal was shrouded in secrecy, with both parties tightlipped about it.
The buyer has been identified as a businessman named Shashi Shetty. “What we have heard is that the property has gone for a mere Rs 95 crore because of its reputation as haunted, and also because the area of the plot is too small to construct a high-rise. We have heard that Shetty has bought it. We are trying to get further details. People associated with the deal are very secretive,” our source revealed.
The property admeasures 603 square metres, and is the first plot at the upscale Carter Road, now known as Sangeet Samrat Naushad Ali Road. Music director Naushad was one of the locality’s inhabitants. The bungalow was earlier known simply as Aashirwad, and before that as Dimple — a name its previous owner, actor Rajendra Kumar, had given it. Khanna apparently wanted to retain the name, but this was not agreeable to Kumar, who had constructed another bungalow in Pali Hill and given it the same name. The bungalow, which Khanna bought for Rs 3.5 lakh, was renamed Vardan Aashirwad.
After Khanna’s death on July 18, 2012, the property was automatically transferred to his daughters Twinkle and Rinke Khanna. However, Rajesh Khanna’s live-in partner, Anita Advani, has been claiming her share in the property for some time now. A public notice was issued in this regard, which shows both Twinkle and Rinke as owners, and lawyers for the new owner have called for any objections regarding the title of the plot.
Advani said, “The property is still under litigation and I will be challenging the public notice that has been published in the newspaper today. I have asked for a stake in the property and the case is pending in court.
A broker clued in about the deal said, “The deal took place 15 days ago. Last Friday was Khanna’s second death anniversary and the plot was sold just before that. It’s too small to be developed into a high- rise and, hence, whoever has bought it must have taken it for end use and not to redevelop the property.” When we sent a detailed query mentioning the purported amount to Twinkle Khanna, her actor- husband Akshay Kumar and their manager Zenobia, the latter refused to revert to the query. Akshay and Twinkle also didn’t respond to our messages.
There were talks that the daughters wanted to make a museum in their mega- starfather’s memory, but it seems the plan has been scrapped.
— Inputs by Bharati Dubey
LAST APPEARANCE
Amid reports of his ill health, the superstar waved to his fans from Aashirwad’s balcony on June 21, 2012. He was flanked by estranged wife Dimple Kapadia and son- in- law Akshay Kumar. He died less than a month later.
Flip of fortune
The house had proven unlucky for Rajendra “Jubilee” Kumar, but not for Rajesh Khanna, who delivered 15 hits in a row
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