Anju Mahendru is an Indian film and television actress and fashion designer. She was in a long-term relationship with legendary Indian actor Rajesh Khanna.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Anju Mahendro aka Anju Mahendroo was born on Friday, January 11, 1946 (age 76; as of 2022) in Dehradun, Uttarakhand. According to some sources, he was born in Mumbai, Maharashtra. His zodiac sign is Capricorn.
Anju Mahenru’s childhood picture with her mother and sister
Physical appearance
Height (approx): 5′ 2″
Hair Color: Salt and Pepper (dyed black/brown)
Eye color: brown
family
parents and siblings
His mother’s name is Shanti Mahendroo. He has an elder sister named Anu Mahendroo.
Anju Mahenru’s mother’s photo
Anju Mahendru and her sister
husband and children
Anju was married to an Indian businessman named Imtiaz Khan.
other relatives
Legendary Indian music director Madan Mohan was his maternal uncle.
Anju Mahendu’s uncle Madan Mohan
Relationships/affairs
Rajesh Khanna
In 1966, rumors started about her relationship with popular Indian actor Rajesh Khanna. At that time Anju was a struggling actress and Rajesh Khanna appeared in several Hindi films. The rumors turned out to be true when people spotted Rajesh Khanna’s red colored car in the parking lot of his apartment. Soon the duo started making public appearances together. Rajesh even gifted Anju a bungalow. They later moved into a live-in relationship. Things were going well between the two until Rajesh started getting possessive towards Anju. Even when he was shooting for his films, he would call Anju whether she was at home or not. Soon his behavior affected Anju mentally. Speaking about this in an interview, Anju said:
He is a very orthodox man, but for some reason he is always attracted to ultra-modern girls. Confusion was part of our relationship. When I wear the skirt, it breaks, why don’t you wear a saree? If I was wearing a saree, she would say why are you trying to look like Bhartya Nari?
Old picture of Anju Mahenru with Rajesh Khanna and other actors of the film
During an interview, when Rajes was asked the same, he said:
Often I’d come home after a hard day at the studios and find a note saying he’d gone to this party…or when I’d go to his house tired and lonely, I’d find his fun friends…I’d like to spend the evening alone with him. Sometimes I would ask Anju to spend time with my mother but she was reluctant to make the effort. Yes, I didn’t want Anju to work in films. But what career did he sacrifice for me? These two small roles… where would these wandering roles take him?”
Then came a phase when Rajesh’s films flopped, which affected his personal life as well. Rajesh realized that Anju never talked about their relationship in public. Speaking about this in an interview, Anju said:
Rajesh Khanna was finding it difficult to understand day by day. His flop films disappointed him. He was also very moody and constantly under a lot of tension. To me, he was Jatin or Justin, the person I loved, not Rajesh Khanna, the superstar or the phenomenon. As much as I could, I immersed my individuality, my personality, my identity in it to make it happy. He wanted me to give up modeling at a time when I was earning a very high salary. He wanted me to quit acting so he forced me out of the film with Sanjeev Kumar. I wanted a film career but Rajesh came first to me.
One day they had a big fight, after which they stopped talking to each other and started living separately. Anju then started dating West Indian cricketer Garfield Sobers. Later, she broke up with him and returned to Rajesh Khanna. When Rajesh came to know about Anju’s affair, he was very upset. He then met Indian actress Dimple Kapadia while he was traveling on a chartered plane. Dimple was not an actress at that time. Their seats were next to each other and they started talking from there. Rajesh and Dimple started meeting more often. Soon, rumors about Rajesh and Dimple’s romance started in the media. When Anju found out about the affair, she confronted Rajes, but he said they were good friends. A few days later, Rajesh organized a birthday party at his home and asked Anju to prepare the guest list. Anju deliberately removed Dimple Kapadia and her (Dimple’s) father’s name from the list. When Rajesh learned that Dimple’s name was not on the guest list, he personally invited Dimple and her father to the party. In a 1973 interview, talking about Dimple, Anju said:
Dimple was a smart girl. He first calls me Anju aunty and him as Rajesh uncle. Then he started mocking me, acting innocent. “
Anju Mahendru with Rajesh Khanna
Anju was making fun of Dimple at the party and when Rajesh heard about it, he was very upset. By then, Rajesh and Anju realized that it was time to end their relationship. Then Rajesh started spending more time with Dimple. Once he came to Dimple’s house and proposed her with a ring. Dimple accepted the proposal and then they went to Khandala, Maharashtra to shoot the film. When Anju heard the same, she decided to confront Rajesh Khanna. While he was driving to Khandala, he met Rajesh’s driver midway, who asked him to refrain from going there. Anju then realized that Dimple and Rajesh’s rumors were true. Anju returned home. Speaking about the incident in an interview, Rajesh Khanna said:
When I came back from Khandala, my driver told me that Anju madam said that she never wanted to meet me and she should not call me. He even returned gifts with the driver. I wanted to end the relationship, but I was upset that he ended the relationship like that, he told the driver everything.”
Old photo of Anju Mahendu with Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia
After almost 7 years of relationship, the couple separated in 1972. Rajesh Khanna then proposed to Dimple Kapadia and the couple got married on 27 March 1973. While Rajesh’s baraat was going to Dimple’s house, she deliberately asked to shift the baraat road from Anjulow Mahendru.
However, Dimple and Rajesh’s marriage did not last long and they divorced in 1982. After Rajesh and Dimple’s divorce, Anju started seeing Raje more often. During Rajesh’s last days, she took care of him. He was holding Anju’s hand even as he breathed his last. In an interview, Mahesh Bhatt talked about Anju and Rajesh’s relationship. She said,
After hearing about Khanna’s death through the media, I thought of Anju as I knew her death would affect me. I managed to reach her late at night and learned that Khanna and Anju were together in the last years of her life. He took care of her medical needs and even accompanied her to the hospital. Fighting back tears, she said, “My only consolation is that I was holding her hand when she breathed her last.”
Anju Mahendru with Rajesh Khanna and his family
Garfield Sobers/Gary Sobers
Anju once had a serious fight with Rajesh Khanna, after which she left the house. Later, while attending a friend’s party, she met West Indian cricketer Gary Sobers. For Gary, it was love at first sight. He befriended Anju and while they were in Kolkata, he proposed. She liked the attention he was getting, so she accepted his proposal. Gradually she realized that she liked Gary but deeply loved Rajesh Khanna. She then went back to Rajesh Khanna’s house and called Gary from there and broke up with him. Speaking about it in an interview, he said:
“To be honest, I was in a relationship with my uncle at that time. We fought about something and I had an affair with Gary in anger, but that doesn’t mean I liked Gary. I called Gary’s uncle from home and canceled the engagement.
Anju Mahendru with ex-boyfriend Gary Sobers
Later, when Gary was asked about Anju, he said that he did not know any girl named Anju.
Career
model
At the age of 13 or 14, she started her modeling career.
Anju Mahendru at the age of 14
She then worked as a model in various modeling assignments.
Anju Mahendru in her modeling days
She has featured in television commercials and print ads for various brands such as Brooke Bond Taj Mahal.
Anju Mahendru in a print ad for Brooke Bond
Beautiful
movie
In 1957, he appeared as a child actor in the Hindi film The Thin Guest.
Anju Mahendu as a child actor in the movie Paying Guest
It was first noticed by the Indian poet and lyricist Kaif Azmi. Kaifi then recommended her name to Indian film director Basu Bhattacharya, who offered her the role of Anju in the 1966 Hindi film Uski Kahani.
Uski Kahan (1966) movie poster
He then played supporting roles in various Hindi films such as Dear Thief (1967), Darwaza (1978), Ganga Ki Saugandi (1978), Piyas (1982), Khatarnaak Irade (1987) and Hum To Chale Pardes (1988). However, his films did not do well at the box office.
Anju Mahendru in The Dear Thief (1967)
He has since been offered small roles in Hindi films such as ‘Saathiya’ (2002), ‘Satta’ (2003), ‘Page 3’ (2005), ‘Hum Ko Deewana Kar Gaye’ (2006) and ‘The Dirty Picture’ (2011).
Anju Mahendru on page 3
television
Apart from films, Anju has also acted in many Hindi TV serials such as ‘Shingora’ (1986), ‘Swabhimaan’ (1995), ‘Kasautii Zindagii Kay’ (2003), ‘Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behna Hai’ (2011) and ‘Yeh Hai Mohabbatein’ (2015).
Anju Mahendru in Swabhimaan (1995)
Facts/Trivia
- Anju has featured on the covers of various magazines.
Anju Mahendu is featured on the cover of the magazine
- It is often seen when smoking a cigarette.
Anju Mahendru is holding a cigarette
- He is an animal lover and has several pet dogs.
- Anju campaigned for ‘Bahena’ which focuses on bird conservation.
- In his spare time he likes gardening.
Anju Mahendru in her garden
- He follows a non-vegetarian diet.
- He likes to watch cricket and his favorite cricketer is Sunil Gavaskar.
Categories: Bollywood
Source: dienchau2.edu.vn
