What's Behind The 'Curse' Of Aashirwad? Rajesh Khanna's Iconic Bungalow Said To Have Ruined 3 Bollywood Superstars

When we think of the iconic homes of Bollywood stars, names like Mannat, Galaxy Apartments, and Jalsa often come to mind. However, long before these, legend Rajesh Khanna’s stunning Aashirwad bungalow was more popular than anyone but for the wrong reasons. Aashirwad carried a troubled history with a reputation of a 'cursed' bungla, a label that never shook off. But how did Aashirwad get this image?

Why was Aashirwad called cursed?

Located on Carter Road by the Arabian Sea, the ₹90 crore bungalow originally belonged to an Anglo-Indian family. Bharat Bhushan, a leading Hindi film star of the early 1950s, became the first celebrity owner of Aashirwad. Known for hits like Baiju Bawra, Mirza Ghalib, Gateway of India, and Barsaat Ki Raat, Bhushan competes with icons like Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar.

Unfortunately, after moving into the bungalow, his films began failing. By the late 1950s, he lost his stardom, fell into debt, and sold the property. The bungalow fell into disrepair, and its shabby state, combined with Bhushan's sudden downfall, sparked an urban legend claiming it was cursed.

Later in the early 1960s, rising star Rajendra Kumar purchased the bungalow and named it Dimple after his daughter. He performed a puja to dispel the rumours of a curse. However, by 1969, his films were failing, and financial troubles forced him to sell the house.

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In the early 1970s, Rajesh Khanna bought the house from Rajendra Kumar to celebrate his golden streak of 17 hits. His success was unstoppable but it was short-lived. By 1975, his films were underperforming, and Amitabh Bachchan was quickly rising to stardom. His personal life was also shattered with his wife, Dimple Kapadia got separated from him with their children. Despite these challenges, Rajesh Khanna continued to live in Aashirwad until his death in 2011, spending much of his later years in solitude. The image of the once-great superstar living alone in the house only added to its reputation as "cursed."

In 2014, an industrialist acquired the bungalow, and by 2016, it was demolished with the internal removal of the Bollywood history piece.