Anju Mahendru Wiki, Age, Husband, Children, Family, Biography & More

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.

Wiki/Biography

Anju Mahendru aka Anju Mahendru was born on Friday, 11 January 1946 (Age 76 years; by 2022) in Dehradun, Uttarakhand. According to some sources, he was born in Mumbai, Maharashtra. His zodiac sign is Capricorn.

Childhood picture of Anju Mahendru with her mother and sister

Physical Appearance

Height (Approx.): 5′ 2″

Hair Color: Salt and pepper (dyed black/brown)

Eye Colour: brown

Family

parents and siblings

His mother’s name is Shanti Mahendru. He has an elder sister named Anu Mahendru.

A picture of Anju Mahendru’s mother

Anju Mahendru and her sister

husband and children

Anju was married to an Indian businessman named Imtiaz Khan.

other relatives

Madan Mohan, the great Indian music director, was his maternal uncle.

Anju Mahendru’s uncle Madan Mohan

relationships/affairs

Rajesh Khanna

In 1966, rumors of her relationship with popular Indian actor Rajesh Khanna began. At that time Anju was a struggling actress while Rajesh Khanna appeared in a few Hindi films. This rumor turned out to be true when people spotted Rajesh Khanna’s red colored car in the parking lot of his apartment. Soon, the two started making public appearances together. Rajesh also gifted a bungalow to Anju. Later, they went into a live-in relationship. Everything was going well between the two that Rajesh started getting possessive about Anju. Even when he was shooting for his films, he used to call Anju to know whether she was at home or not. Soon his behavior starts affecting Anju mentally. Talking about this during an interview, Anju said,

He is a very conservative guy, yet somehow, is always attracted to ultra-modern girls. Confusion was a part of our relationship. If I used to wear a skirt, he would get upset, why don’t you wear a saree? If I had worn a saree, he would have said, ‘Why are you showing the look of an Indian woman?’

An old picture of Anju Mahendru with Rajesh Khanna and other cast members of the film

When Rajesh was asked about this during an interview, he said,

Often after a hard day in the studio, I’d come home to find a note saying she went to so-and-so’s party…or when I’d come home tired and lonely, I’d find her amusing friends. ..I want to spend the evening alone with her. Sometimes I used to ask Anju to spend time with my mother but she didn’t want to make the effort. Yes, I did not want Anju to act in films. But what career did he sacrifice for me? Those two bit roles… where would those bit roles take him?

Then came a time when Rajesh’s films started flopping, which affected his personal life as well. Rajesh also started realizing that Anju never talked about their relationship in public. Talking about this in an interview, Anju said,

It was becoming difficult day by day to understand Rajesh Khanna. His flop films had disappointed him. He was also very moody and used to be very tense all the time. For me it was Jatin or Justin who I loved, not Rajesh Khanna, a superstar or The Phenomenon. As much as I could, I had immersed my personality, my individuality, my identity in him to please him. He wanted me to quit modeling at a time when I was getting paid a lot, I did. He wanted me to quit acting so he dropped me from a film with Sanjeev Kumar. I was keen on a film career but Rajesh came to me first.

One day both of them had a lot of fight after which they stopped talking to each other and started living separately. Anju then started dating West Indies cricketer Garfield Sobers. Later, she broke up with him and returned to Rajesh Khanna. When Rajesh comes to know about Anju’s affair, he gets very upset. He then met Indian actress Dimple Kapadia while they were traveling in a chartered plane. Dimple was not an actress at that time. The seats of both were side by side and the conversation started from there. Rajesh and Dimple again started meeting frequently. Soon the news of Rajesh and Dimple’s affair started appearing in the media. When Anju finds out about the affair, she confronts Rajesh, but he maintains that they are good friends. A few days later, Rajesh organizes his birthday party at his house and asks Anju to prepare the guest list. Anju intentionally left out the names of Dimple Kapadia and her (Dimple’s) father. When Rajesh learns that Dimple’s name is not on the guest list, he personally invites Dimple and her father to the party. In an interview in 1973, Anju had said while talking about Dimple,

Dimple was a clever girl. Earlier she used to call me Anju Aunty and him as Rajesh Uncle. He then started taunting me for behaving innocently.

Anju Mahendru with Rajesh Khanna

At the party, Anju taunts Dimple and when Rajesh comes to know about it, he gets furious. By that time, Rajesh and Anju had realized that the time had come to end their relationship. Rajesh again started spending more time with Dimple. He once went to Dimple’s house and proposed to her by giving her a ring. Dimple accepted the offer, and then they went to Khandala, Maharashtra to shoot a film. When Anju came to know about this, she decided to meet Rajesh Khanna. While she was driving her car to Khandala, she was met by Rajesh’s driver, who asked her to avoid going there. Anju then realizes that Dimple and Rajesh’s rumors were true. Anju returns to her home. Talking about this incident in an interview, Rajesh Khanna said,

When I returned from Khandala my driver told me that Anju madam said that she never wanted to meet me nor did she want me to call her. He also returned my gifts along with the driver. I also wanted to end the relationship, but I was sad that he ended the relationship like this by telling everything to a driver.

An old picture of Anju Mahendru with Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia

After almost 7 years of their relationship, the couple parted their ways in 1972. Rajesh Khanna then proposed Dimple Kapadia for marriage and the couple married on 27 March 1973. The procession route from Anju Mahendru’s bungalow.

However, Dimple and Rajesh’s marriage did not last long and they got divorced in 1982. After Rajesh and Dimple’s divorce, Anju started meeting Rajesh frequently. She used to take care of Rajesh during his last days. Even in his last breath he held Anju’s hand. In an interview, Mahesh Bhatt talked about Anju and Rajesh’s relationship. They said,

After learning about Khanna’s death through the media, I thought of Anju as I knew she would be affected by his death. I managed to reach her late at night and learned that Khanna and Anju met in the last years of their lives together. She took care of his medical needs and even accompanied him to the hospital. Holding back her tears, she told me, ‘My only consolation is that I held her hand when she breathed her last’.

Anju Mahendru with Rajesh Khanna and his family

Garfield Sobers / Gary Sobers

Anju once had a big fight with Rajesh Khanna after which she left her house. Later, she met West Indies cricketer Garry Sobers while attending a friend’s party. It was love at first sight for Gary. He became friends with Anju and when they were in Kolkata, he proposed marriage to her. She liked the attention he was giving her, so, she accepted his offer. Slowly she begins to realize that she likes Gary, but she is deeply in love with Rajesh Khanna. After this she returned to Rajesh Khanna’s house and from there she called Gary and broke up with him. Talking about this in an interview, he said,

‘To be honest, at that time I was in a relationship with Kaka. We had a fight about something and I had an affair with Gary out of anger but that doesn’t mean I like Gary. I called Gary from Kaka’s house and called off the engagement.

Anju Mahendru with her ex-boyfriend Gary Sobers

Later, when Gary was asked about Anju, he said that he did not know any girl named Anju.

livelihood

Sample

She started her modeling career at the age of 13 or 14.

Anju Mahendru at the age of 14

Thereafter she worked as a model in various modeling assignments.

Anju Mahendru in modeling days

She has been featured in TV commercials and print ads for various brands such as Brooke Bond Taj Mahal.

Anju Mahendru in a print ad for Brooke Bond

actor

film

In 1957, she appeared as a child artist in the Hindi film ‘Paying Guest’.

Anju Mahendru as Child Artist in Paying Guest

He was first noticed by Indian poet and lyricist Kaifi Azmi. Kaifi then recommended her name to Indian film director Basu Bhattacharya, who offered Anju a role in the 1966 Hindi film Uski Kahani.

Uski Kahani (1966) movie poster

He then played supporting roles in various Hindi films such as ‘Jewel Thief’ (1967), ‘Darwaza’ (1978), ‘Ganga Ki Saugandh’ (1978), ‘Pyaas’ (1982), ‘Khatranak Irade’ (1987). ‘Hum To Chale Pardes’ (1988). However, his films failed to do well at the box office.

Anju Mahendru in ‘Jewel Thief’ (1967)

She was then 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’. done. (2011).

Anju Mahendru in page 3

Television

Apart from films, Anju has worked in several Hindi TV serials like ‘Shingora’ (1986), ‘Swabhiman’ (1995), ‘Kasautii Zindagii Kay’ (2003), ‘Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Bahna Hai’ (2011) and ‘Shingora’ (1986). Has also worked in serials. ‘Ye Hai Mohabbatein’ (2015).

Anju Mahendru in ‘Swabhiman’ (1995)

Facts / Trivia

• Anju has been featured on the cover page of various magazines.
  

  Anju Mahendru appeared on the cover of the magazine

• She is often spotted smoking cigarettes.
  

  Anju Mahendru holding a cigarette

• She is an ardent animal lover and owns a few pet dogs.

• Anju has campaigned for ‘Baheena’ which focuses on the conservation of birds.

• He loves gardening in his spare time.
  

  Anju Mahendru in her garden

• She follows a non-vegetarian diet.

• He loves watching cricket and his favorite cricketer is Sunil Gavaskar.