Rajesh Khanna's 'Haunted' Bungalow Reportedly Sold for Rs 95 Crore Mid-Day.

com | July 25, 2014 10:41

IST (Mumbai)

Rajesh Khanna's 'Haunted' Bungalow Reportedly Sold for Rs 95 Crore Vardan Aashirwad, the iconic
Carter Road bungalow where Rajesh Khanna spent his last days two years ago. (Image Courtesy: MidDay) The home where Hindi cinema's first superstar lived has been sold, but for a price that doesn't
quite match up to the glamour of its swank locale or its elite owner.

Vardan Aashirwad, the iconic Carter Road bungalow where Rajesh Khanna spent his last days two years
ago, has been sold for somewhere between Rs 90-95 crore, sources claim. (Also read: Rajesh Khanna's
last film Riyasat gets U/A certificate )

They say the sum is lighter than one would have expected because of the relatively small plot size of the
property, and, more uncannily, the recent reports that the house is haunted.

Real estate sources from Bandra said the deal was shrouded in secrecy, with both parties tightlipped
about it. The buyer has been identified as a businessman named Shashi Shetty.

"What we have heard is that the property has gone for a mere Rs 95 crore because of its reputation as
haunted, and also because the area of the plot is too small to construct a high-rise. We have heard that
Shetty has bought it. We are trying to get further details. (Also read: Celebrate Rajesh Khanna's legacy,
says Bollywood )

People associated with the deal are very secretive," our source revealed. The property admeasures 603
square metres, and is the first plot at the upscale Carter Road, now known as Sangeet Samrat Naushad
Ali Road. Music director Naushad was one of the locality's inhabitants.

The bungalow was earlier known simply as Aashirwad, and before that as Dimple a name its previous
owner, actor Rajendra Kumar, had given it. Khanna apparently wanted to retain the name, but this was
not agreeable to Kumar, who had constructed another bungalow in Pali Hill and given it the same name.
The bungalow, which Khanna bought for R3.5 lakh, was renamed Vardan Aashirwad.

After Khanna's death on July 18, 2012, the property was automatically transferred to his daughters
Twinkle and Rinke Khanna. However, Rajesh Khanna's live-in partner, Anita Advani, has been claiming
her share in the property for some time now. A public notice was issued in this regard, which shows
both Twinkle and Rinke as owners, and lawyers for the new owner have called for any objections
regarding the title of the plot.

Advani said, "The property is still under litigation and I will be challenging the public notice that has been
published in the newspaper today. I have asked for a stake in the property and the case is pending in
court. A broker clued in about the deal said, "The deal took place 15 days ago.

Last Friday was Khanna's second death anniversary and the plot was sold just before that. It's too small
to be developed into a high-rise and, hence, whoever has bought it must have taken it for end use and
not to redevelop the property."

When we sent a detailed query mentioning the purported amount to Twinkle Khanna, her actorhusband Akshay Kumar and their manager Zenobia, the latter refused to revert to the query. Akshay and
Twinkle also didn't respond to our messages.

There were talks that the daughters wanted to make a museum in their mega-star-father's memory, but
it seems the plan has been scrapped.