Late Vinod Khanna was born on October 6, 1946 in Peshawar in Pakistan. After the partition of India, his family moved to Mumbai where his father, a prominent businessman had an office. They later shifted to Delhi and returned to Mumbai after a few years. As a child, Vinod Khanna was crazy about cricket. But when he realized that he could not make it to the international level, he gave up on that dream.

In 1979, he had told The Illustrated Weekly Of India, "There was a time when I played fair cricket with (Test player) Budhi Kunderan...but settled for films the moment I realised I couldn't be a Vishwanath! Even so cricket, not films, is my first love."  Vinod Khanna Birth Anniversary: Five Villainous Roles Of The Actor That Overshadowed The Hero. 

 Vinod Khanna Was a Born Superstar As per His Co-Stars

How Vinod Khanna Left Stardom To Be With His Guru Osho

Vinod Khanna had made his debut in 1968 with the movie Man Ka Meet produced by Sunil Dutt. They were close friends. He was instantly noticed. This was followed by successes like Sacha Jhuthaa, Aan Milo Sajna and Purab Aur Paschim. His career reached its peak in the late 1970s as he did films with Raj Khosla, Gulzar and Manmohan Desai. In 1971, he had married his long-time girlfriend, model Geetanjali Taleyar.

Slowly, he began to get drawn towards spirituality, especially the teachings of Osho Rajneesh. He would spent a lot of time at his ashram in Pune. In 1982, he bid goodbye to Bollywood and headed to Oregon in the US where he spent five years at the Osho township. It seems the demise of his mother and cousin had affected him deeply. Later, Vinod Khanna said in an interview that it was his own mind that took him away from films. He said, "My own mind. My mind was thinking too much. I was too hyper. My thoughts were all over the place. I was very angry. I’d reached a saturation point. People can press your buttons and make you react. Everything is not under your control. But I would see that when I meditate, these things weren’t affecting me at all.”

He said he wanted to connect deeply with his inner self, and hence felt the need to stay in the ashram. Vinod Khanna denied ignoring his family saying he would be in touch through phone calls. He made sure they were well-provided for. However, his decision to move to the US ended his marriage. Remembering Vinod Khanna: Jab Koi Baat Bigad Jaaye and Other Songs Of The Late Actor That Still Feel Like Home! (Watch Videos).

 Superstar’s Viral Interview on Being a Bachelor and Sex

There were rumours of Vinod Khanna dating Amrita Singh at one point of time. He was also linked to some of his other female co-stars like Zeenat Aman with whom he did many films. In one of his interviews, he said, "Well, I was a bachelor, and I am no saint as far as women are concerned. I need sex as much as anybody else does. Without women, we won’t be here, without sex, we won’t be here, so why should anybody object to my being with women."

The Media Had Given Vinod Khanna Names Like ‘Sexy Sanyasi’

 

Vinod Khanna and His Marriages

He had married his first wife Geetanjali in 1971. They had two sons, Rahul and Akshaye. She had said that he would ensure his Sundays are off so that he can be with his children. In 1985, they divorced as his marriage had hit rough waters due to his decision to leave India.

Later in 1990, he married Kavita Daftary. He was introduced to her at his mother's birthday party. On Rendezvous With Simi Garewal, she had described him as a "taxing person to live with". She said that he would often discuss the metaphysical with her, which she at times, found little tedious. They had two children, a son Sakshi and daughter Shraddha.

Bollywood has given us many screen icons but few are as iconic as him. The crazy amongst women for him was unprecedented. Fans remember his soap ad till date, which even rivalled that of Imran Khan.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 06, 2024 09:04 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).