Rajesh Khanna bought star’s ‘lucky’ home for Rs 3.5 lakh; was furious when Salman Khan bid for Aashirwad; sold for Rs 90 cr after his death

When Rajesh Khanna was alive, he had one dream for Aashirwad, his iconic sea-facing bungalow on Mumbai’s Carter Road. He wanted it to be converted into a museum after his death. After all, Rajesh Khanna wasn’t just another star. He was Hindi cinema’s first superstar, an actor who delivered 15 consecutive hit films—a record that remains unbeaten. Although his unprecedented stardom peaked and faded within a few years, Khanna always believed Aashirwad had changed his destiny. Interestingly, before it became Aashirwad, the bungalow was called Dimple.
How Rajendra Kumar bought the bungalow for Rs 65,000
The story begins with another superstar of his era, Rajendra Kumar. In the late 1950s, when Rajendra Kumar was still finding his feet in the film industry, he dreamt of owning a bungalow. Around this time, he came across a neglected property on Carter Road. According to journal Peter John, the bungalow was in such a dilapidated condition that no one was willing to buy it, despite its modest asking price. Rajendra Kumar immediately signed a cheque for Rs 10,000 as a token payment. The bungalow cost Rs 65,000 in total—an enormous amount in those days. He still had to arrange the remaining Rs 55,000.
Film star Rajendra Kumar. Express archive photo
In Seema Sonik Alimchand’s biography Jubilee Kumar: The Life and Times of a Superstar, Rajendra Kumar recalled: “Now I had to pay Rs 55,000 more, which I didn’t have in my account. So I went to Mr BR Chopra, who had offered me two films—Dhool Ka Phool and Kanoon. While I had accepted both, we had yet to agree on my remuneration.”
The two eventually struck a deal worth Rs 1.75 lakh for both films, with BR Chopra immediately paying him an advance of Rs 50,000. That was enough to complete the purchase. Rajendra Kumar named the bungalow Dimple, after his newborn daughter.
The house that became lucky for two superstars
The bungalow soon proved lucky. Rajendra Kumar’s career soared, earning him the title ‘Jubilee Kumar’ as film after film celebrated silver jubilees at the box office. At the height of his success, he purchased another bungalow and, once again, named it Dimple. He then decided to sell his Carter Road home. Around the same time, a young actor named Rajesh Khanna was trying to establish himself in Bollywood.
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When Khanna learnt that Rajendra Kumar was selling the bungalow, he was eager to buy it. Legend has it that he believed some of Rajendra Kumar’s extraordinary luck would rub off on him. He purchased the property for around Rs 3.5 lakh in the late 1960s. However, there was one condition. Rajendra Kumar requested him not to retain the name Dimple, since it was his daughter’s name and had already been given to his new home as well. Little did he know that years later, he would marry someone with the same name.Story continues below this ad
Actor Rajesh Khanna. (Photo: Express Archive)
According to Alimchand’s book, Rajendra Kumar told him: “You must change the name. Dimple is my daughter’s name. We had named the Carter Road bungalow after her and have now named our new home Dimple too. But you have my blessings for your new home. May it bring you immense luck and prosperity.”
Rajesh Khanna renamed it Aashirwad.
Aashirwad became the address of India’s first superstar
Soon after moving into Aashirwad, Rajesh Khanna’s career exploded. He became Hindi cinema’s first superstar, and thousands of fans gathered outside his home every day just to catch a glimpse of him. Women reportedly wrote him letters in blood, kissed his car, and queued outside the bungalow for hours.
Funeral procession of the first superstar of Bollywood Rajesh Khanna at his bungalow Ashirwad in Carter Road, Bandra on Thursday. Express photo Prashant Nadkar)
In Dark Star: The Loneliness of Being Rajesh Khanna, author Gautam Chintamani writes that after moving into Aashirwad, “the façade of being a king was complete.”
He describes the bungalow as Khanna’s royal court: “Khanna made tens of producers wait endlessly outside the fabled durbar… He would emerge in his famous silk lungi-kurta and sit on a chair placed slightly higher than the others to dinguish the king from his subjects. Only a select few had access to the inner sanctum… Whisky flowed endlessly through the night and those present sang praises of King Kaka.”Story continues below this ad
Those who disagreed with him were often dismissed dramatically. “Aapko humara durbar chhodna padega.”
The downfall of Rajesh Khanna
In 1973, everything changed. Amitabh Bachchan’s Zanjeer introduced the ‘Angry Young Man’ to Hindi cinema. Soon, films like Deewaar and Sholay transformed Bollywood’s definition of a hero, and Rajesh Khanna’s era slowly came to an end. Although he tried to reinvent himself, he never managed to reclaim the phenomenal success he had once enjoyed. His later years were also marked financial troubles.
Rajesh Khanna’s bungalow Aashirwad. (Express archive photo Mukesh Parpiani)
According to reports, the Income Tax Department served him a notice demanding unpaid dues exceeding Rs 1.5 crore. Rumours soon surfaced that Rajesh Khanna might be forced to sell Aashirwad.
Salman Khan reportedly tried to buy Aashirwad
During this period, Sohail Khan reportedly expressed interest in buying the iconic bungalow. To facilitate the deal, Salman Khan allegedly asked writer Rumi Jaffery to approach Rajesh Khanna with Sohail’s proposal. According to reports, the Khan family even offered to clear Rajesh Khanna’s income tax dues. Salman reportedly went a step further, offering to act in one of Khanna’s productions free of cost if the deal went through. But the proposal deeply upset the veteran actor.Story continues below this ad
Recalling the incident in Dark Star, Rumi Jaffery said: “When Khanna finally spoke, he asked how I could even think of suggesting such a thing and accused me of stabbing him in the back. Kakaji said, ‘I consider you a son-in-law aur tu mera ghar bikwana chahta hai… Sadak par lana chahta hai!’ I had a tough time explaining that I was merely the messenger delivering Sohail Khan’s proposal.”
The house that had once witnessed the rise of two of Hindi cinema’s biggest superstars—and had become synonymous with Rajesh Khanna’s extraordinary stardom—exs today only in memories and photographs.