The first superstar of the country Rajesh Khanna enjoyed a craze and mass hysteria that remains unparalleled to this date. Although his superstardom started waning in the mid-1970s after being dethroned by Amitabh Bachchan, the period between 1969 and 1974 was one where he was the sole superstar of not just Hindi cinema but the Indian film industry as a whole.
Rajesh Khanna’s popularity was such that anecdotes about his life and career are shared and talked about to this date. However, not every anecdote is pleasant and one of the unpleasant ones is a feud between him and fellow co-star Sanjeev Kumar which ultimately resulted in Rajesh Khanna slapping the latter.
It all stemmed from a misunderstanding involving Rajesh Khanna and his ex-girlfriend Anju Manhendru. The pair were reportedly in a live-in relationship from 1966 to 1972 but broke up after Anju continually rejected Rajesh Khanna’s proposal for marriage. Shortly after their split, speculation arose in the tabloids about Anju’s romantic involvement with Sanjeev Kumar. This gossip stirred considerable turmoil in the actress’ life, especially since Rajesh Khanna, her former partner, was reportedly displeased by the news.
Things were complicated as Anju’s mother considered Sanjeev Kumar as her brother and used to tie Rakhi on his wrist. And so, when rumours about Anju’s affair with Sanjeev Kumar surfaced, she was disturbed by it. Anju had talked about this in an interview given to Filmfare. She had said, ‘I never fell in love with Sanjeev Kumar. For me, he was just my mother’s brother. There was an actress who had spread the rumour that I was dating Sanjeev Kumar. Even my ex-boyfriend (Rajesh Khanna) started believing the same.”
Years later, when Rajesh Khanna and Sanjeev Kumar shared screen space in a film, Rajesh Khanna had to slap Sanjeev Kumar in a particular scene. Because Rajesh Khanna had a grudge against him, he did not fake the slap and instead slapped Sanjeev Kumar for real.
Anju Mahendru said that the slap was out of sheer jealousy. In the same interview, she disclosed how Sanjeev Kumar provided her with moral support following her breakup with Rajesh Khanna. Describing their relationship, she remarked that Sanjeev Kumar was akin to a brother to her.
Anju Mahendru and Rajesh Khanna started being on talking terms again after 1988 and remained friends till Rajesh Khanna’s death.
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