Vinod Khanna’s life behind the celluloid: Two wives, a brief whiff of affair, and brush with spirituality

The shy Punjabi damsel – Geetanjali Khanna

Vinod Khanna’s first wife Geetanjali, was a typical Punjabi woman, who had been brought up to be the happy and sated second fiddle in a relationship, to the man of the house. This was not a problem initially, but the independent aura of Mumbai started to rub off on Geetanjali, who too was fed up being stuck up behind the four walls of the house.

The spiritual leap, and subsequent divorce

Vinod Khanna became the disciple of Osho Rajneesh, in the year 1975, which led to his long absence from home. For five years, Khanna was in the US, while he became a gardener, and a man-servant, happy to be serving the Osho. This further proved a catalyst in destroying a relationship which was already on its hinges. Finally, due to the dominant attitude of Vinod, and his long absence, led to his divorce from his first wife and mother of two sons Akshaye and Rahul Khanna, in the year 1985.

The brief rumoured affair with Bollywood fiery starlet, Amrita Singh

Amrita Singh was one fiery Bollywood actress, who was apparently too smitten with Vinod Khanna. Khanna, however, did not reciprocate the feelings, and always stated that they were good friends. However, post his divorce, life took a turn and soon they both were in an intense and intimate relationship, if reports are to be believed. However, the relationship, no matter how passionate, was a short-lived one, as Amrita Singh’s mother openly disapproved of the relationship. Rukhsana Sultan clearly stated that Amrita should not date a man so old, and someone who has just left his family and kids.

Enter, the second wife, Kavita Daftary

After he had been labelled the sexy sanyasi by the media, owing to his affiliations with Osho Rajneesh and subsequent divorce with first wife Geetanjali, Vinod Khanna shocked everyone yet again, when he tied the knot with Kavita Daftary, in the year 1990. She was the daughter of famous industrialist Sarayu Daftary, and was 13 years younger to Khanna, who was 43 at the time. In the words of Vinod Khanna himself, “It's a great feeling to be in love. This time it's for keeps." Kavita later bore two kids to Khanna, a son named Sakshi Khanna, and a daughter Shraddha Khanna.

A life so rich, and end so sad

Vinod Khanna lived a rich life, found love three times, and lived enough to savour it to the whole, with his second marriage. He loved his kids and watched them thrive in their respective careers. He is no more with us, as he succumbed to cancer this morning, but his void will always be felt in Bollywood, and in our hearts, for we have grown up watching him on screen, and will continue to do so. RIP Vinod Khanna.