Bhoot Bangla Of Bollywood: If you think that bhoot banglas only exist in reel life, then this story is worth reading to change your perspective. The home of this superstar—who once made everyone go gaga over his performance—is believed to be cursed. He was once facing the wrath of his own lavish house worth crores. Read on to discover the 'crused' story of an Icon who changed Indian cinema.
)
What if we told you that stories of cursed places aren’t just confined to reel life, but also exist in real life? Today, it’s not about a haunted station or any other area—it’s about a superstar's cursed bungalow that ruined the lives of 3 A-listers, and it has a surprising connection to Akshay Kumar. Read on to find out!
The legendary Rajesh Khanna- father-in-law of actor Akshay Kumar purchased this lavish sea-facing, two-storey bungalow on Mumbai’s posh Carter Road in the early 1970s at the peak of his career, like any other person he had dreams about his home but it turned out to be something elseThen in the midst of a golden streak of 17 consecutive hits, Khanna was the original superstar But fame, like everything else, proved fleeting. Rajesh Khanna stayed in Aashirwad until his final days mostly alone. Once a symbol of his success, the bungalow was long rumoured to be 'cursed'. Before SRK's Mannat or Amitabh Bachchan's Jalsa this house was a centre of attraction because of its haunted history.
(All Images: X/ Instagram)
This lavish banglow cursed the life of 3 big superstars yes! you read it right. The sea-facing bungalow, foundly known as 'Aashirwad', has long been linked to a chilling legacy. Once owned by an Anglo-Indian family, it passed through the hands of three major Bollywood stars—Bharat Bhushan, Rajendra Kumar, and Rajesh Khanna—all of whom faced dramatic downfalls after moving in. From Bhushan’s bankruptcy to Kumar’s financial collapse, and finally Khanna's lonely final days, the home earned the ominous tag of being ‘cursed.'
Aashirwad had seen it all—from Rajesh Khanna's meteoric rise to stardom to the turbulent chapters of his personal life. The superstar remained deeply loyal to his beloved yet ‘cursed’ home. His personal life unraveled as well, with his wife Dimple Kapadia parting ways and leaving the bungalow with their daughters. Yet, Rajesh Khanna chose to live in Aashirwad until his final days in 2011.
Once valued at Rs 225 crore, the iconic sea-facing bungalow was eventually auctioned for just Rs 90 crore. In 2014, industrialist Shashi Kiran Shetty, Executive Chairman of Allcargo Logistics, purchased the property. Twinkle and Rinke Khanna—daughters of Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia—were the sole beneficiaries and sold Aashirwad two years after their father’s passing. Two years later, the bungalow was demolished, and with it, the superstar’s dream crumbled to dust.
The iconic bungalow, Aashirwad became synonymous with Cinema icon Rajesh Khanna. According to several media reports, it was his final wish to transform the home into a museum, preserving cherished memorabilia—his signature kurtas, prestigious awards, vintage cars, and other things. After his passing, controversy stirred when his alleged partner, Anita Advani, was reportedly evicted by his family. She then later challenged the sale of the bungalow, asserting that Rajesh Khanna had wished it to be a memorial. However, the dispute eventually faded from the public eye.
Aashirwad was once a fan hotspot, where crowds gathered just to catch a wave from Rajesh Khanna. The bungalow witnessed not only his peak stardom but also his quiet downfall. His family—Dimple Kapadia, daughters Twinkle and Rinke, and son-in-law Akshay Kumar—were often seen at his residence. A year after his death, the bungalow was reportedly renamed 'Vardaan', Dimple confirmed about the buzz and told PTI, "Yes...The name of the bungalow has been changed. But I cannot reveal the reason behind it. It is personal.'' Yet, despite the name and ownership changes, for fans, it will always be remembered as Rajesh Khanna’s Aashirwad.
Newsletter
