The legendary Rajesh Khanna, widely hailed as Hindi cinema's first true superstar, commanded a fan frenzy that remains unmatched. Stories of women covering his car with lipstick marks and donning white sarees to mourn his marriage are etched in Bollywood folklore. However, a lesser-known chapter involved a secret marriage that preceded his famous wedding, a scoop famously broken by Stardust magazine.
The Explosive Stardust Scoop
In a recent interview, veteran journalist and author Shobhaa De has shed new light on how she, as the editor of Stardust, broke the story about Rajesh Khanna's alleged secret marriage to actress Anju Mahendru. De disclosed that the tip came directly from the magazine's founder, Mr. Nari Hira. "The very first issue which was a scoop was about Rajesh Khanna and if he was secretly married. That came from Mr Nari Hira because he knew Anju Mahendru's mother very well. They were friends. So she tipped him off," De revealed during a chat with Vickey Lalwani.
Recognizing the potential of the story, the team decided to run with it as their debut cover story. "We thought it would be a great first cover story and would attract a lot of attention because we had called him a phenomenon," she added. De emphasized the unparalleled scale of Khanna's stardom, stating, "I have never seen that kind of fandom for anyone, before and ever since. Not even all the Khans put together can match up the kind of passion and hysteria that Rajesh Khanna in his prime generated."
Truth Behind the Headlines and the Aftermath
When pressed on the veracity of the report, Shobhaa De stood firmly by the story. "It was true. I would imagine it was 100 percent true as they couldn't counter it enough," she asserted. She further suggested a direct link between the exposed secret and Khanna's subsequent public marriage. "It kind of was a trigger for him to marry Dimple after the story broke if I remember correctly," De remarked.
Following the controversy stirred by the Stardust revelation, Rajesh Khanna went on to marry a much younger Dimple Kapadia in 1973. The couple had two daughters, Twinkle and Rinke Khanna. His relationship with Anju Mahendru, which included reports of them living together, thus became a pivotal, hushed-up prelude to one of Bollywood's most iconic weddings.
A Legacy of Unmatched Stardom
This revelation adds another layer to the enigmatic life of Rajesh Khanna, whose career peak in the late 60s and early 70s defined cinematic superstardom in India. The episode underscores the powerful role film journalism played even decades ago, capable of influencing the personal decisions of the industry's biggest stars. Shobhaa De's account provides a rare behind-the-scenes look at how one of Bollywood's earliest and most sensational celebrity scoops was unearthed, forever linking the narrative of Khanna's secret past with his public marital life.
