Rajesh Khanna would still be alive if he had stayed with Anju Mahendru, wedding with Dimple Kapadia was unexpected says Mumtaz

Rajesh Khanna, the first superstar of Hindi cinema, shocked many when he suddenly married 16-year-old Dimple Kapadia, leaving behind his long-time girlfriend, Anju Mahendru. Decades later, veteran actress Mumtaz believes that had he stayed with Anju, he might still be alive today.
In an interview with Vickey Lalwani, Mumtaz opened up about her connection with Rajesh Khanna, his bond with Anju, and how fate played a surprising hand in his personal life.

‘I wish I was involved with him, but I wasn’t’
The 'Prem Kahani' actress firmly dismissed rumours that she ever had a romantic relationship with Rajesh Khanna, though she admitted she had feelings for him. “I wish I was involved with him, but I wasn’t. I missed the boat, I’d say. I’ve denied this a 1000 times, but if people keep insisting that there was something between us, all I can do is say, ‘I wish…’”
She revealed that Rajesh, fondly called Kaka, was actually in love with her close friend Anju Mahendru. The couple had a strong bond for years, and Mumtaz used to visit them regularly after her marriage. “Anju was a very good host. When I got married, my husband and I would go to their house, and they’d be very generous as hosts. They’d drink, Kaka would drink… I knew that they love each other very much.”
‘I didn’t expect it at all’
For Mumtaz, Rajesh’s sudden wedding to Dimple Kapadia came as a complete shock. “In fact, I was surprised when I learnt that he’d left her and gotten married (to Dimple Kapadia). I didn’t expect it at all. Even today, I’d say that Kaka might have still been alive had he stayed with Anju. She looked after him like he was a flower. Even when he was ill, she always used to be in the bungalow. She always used to look after him, his food, his ‘dawai-daaru’. She was a wonderful person. But you can’t escape destiny.”

Anju had no idea about the wedding
According to Mumtaz, Anju was blindsided when Rajesh married Dimple. She shared what Anju told her during one of their conversations. “I asked her, and she said, ‘I don’t know. I was at a party, and the next thing I know is that he had decided to get married’. She’s a proud woman, she’s very happy. It didn’t bother her that her boyfriend of so many years had left her. She didn’t want to mope over him. She must’ve been hurt, of course, but it wasn’t like she was howling in grief.” Despite everything, Mumtaz and Anju remain close friends to this day.
Rajesh Khanna’s wedding to Dimple Kapadia in 1973, took place just months before her debut film, 'Bobby', was released. Many were stunned — including Anju, who had spent several years in a relationship with the superstar. The wedding made headlines also because of the age gap and timing. Dimple was only 16, while Rajesh was 15 years older. Though time has moved on, the what-ifs surrounding Rajesh's choices still linger in the memories of those close to him.
Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia, iconic Bollywood stars, had two daughters, Twinkle Khanna and Rinke Khanna. Twinkle, the elder, initially acted in films 'Joru Ka Ghulam', 'Mela' and several other titles, but later became a successful author, interior designer, and producer. Rinke, the younger daughter, had a brief acting career before choosing a quieter life away from the spotlight.