DYK The Story Of Ashirwad? The Infamous Juhu Bungalow That Made And Broke Three Bollywood Icons

In Hindi cinema, the key to a star's stardom—and their destiny—lies entirely in their own hands. Many stars have emerged who built their careers entirely on their own merit. However, a thought-provoking question arises: does a soul truly reside within structures of brick and stone? Can a house, in itself, have the power to ruin a person's life? Although one of Bollywood's most famous bungalows may no longer exist today, the tales surrounding it still send shivers down the spine. That very bungalow destroyed the lives of three superstars.

The ominous bungalow that devastated the lives of three Bollywood superstars was none other than 'Ashirwad'—located in Juhu, Mumbai. This is the very home that transformed Rajendra Kumar into 'Jubilee Kumar'; yet, it was this same house that plunged the superstar Rajesh Khanna into the darkness of solitude during his final days. Furthermore, while this bungalow elevated Bharat Bhushan to the pinnacle of stardom, it was also this very bungalow that brought him crashing down from the heights of glory to rock bottom.

Why, exactly, was this bungalow dubbed jinxed? Was it truly haunted by ghosts or was it merely a coincidence? As it turns out, veteran actress Mumtaz recently revealed that she was unaware that, following Rajesh Khanna's passing, his son-in-law—actor Akshay Kumar—had sold the bungalow. She was deeply saddened when she learned of this.

ALSO READ: When Karan Johar Tried To 'Murder' Anushka Sharma's Bollywood Career And 'Ruin' Her Graph

Mumtaz stated that she had spent many happy moments there with "Kaka" (Rajesh Khanna) and Anju Mahendru, who was in a relationship with him at the time. However, stories surrounding this bungalow have persisted for decades. At that time, he was extremely wealthy and had a passion for expensive cars and books. Gradually, Bharat Bhushan's films began to flop; he invested all his life savings into film production and subsequently sank deep into debt. His financial situation deteriorated to such an extent that he was compelled to sell his bungalow. He sold the bungalow to Rajendra Kumar in 1960 for approximately 60,000.

Rajendra Kumar purchased this bungalow from Bharat Bhushan. At the time, Rajendra Kumar was also struggling and did not possess the financial means to acquire such a lavish bungalow. Nevertheless, he somehow managed to buy it. When Rajendra Kumar moved in, his neighbors warned him that the house was haunted by 'ghosts'—a presence they claimed was the reason behind Bharat Bhushan's financial ruin. Terrified by these stories, Rajendra Kumar named the bungalow 'Dimple' after his daughter and had a priest perform an elaborate *Shanti Puja* (peace ritual). What followed seemed nothing short of a miracle. The moment he moved into the bungalow, Rajendra Kumar's fortunes soared. Every film he released went on to celebrate a Silver Jubilee run, earning him the moniker 'Jubilee Kumar.' Consequently, the bungalow—once considered 'jinxed'—came to be regarded as 'lucky.'

However, luck did not remain on Rajendra Kumar's side for very long. His films eventually began to flop and his financial situation deteriorated once again. Ultimately, he too was compelled to sell the bungalow.

In 1969, Rajesh Khanna purchased this bungalow from Rajendra Kumar. In the late 1960s, Rajesh Khanna was just emerging as a star. He was obsessed with this bungalow of Rajendra Kumar's; he believed that the bungalow which had proven lucky for Rajendra Kumar would make him a superstar as well. Rajesh Khanna bought the bungalow from him for Rs 3.5 lakh—a princely sum at the time. Rajesh Khanna subsequently renamed the bungalow from 'Dimple' to 'Aashirwad'.

ALSO READ: 'She’s My Soulmate': Abhishek Bachchan Gets Candid About His 19-Year Journey With Aishwarya Rai

History repeated itself once again. After moving into this bungalow, Rajesh Khanna's fortunes soared. He set a record of delivering 15 back-to-back hit films, thereby becoming the biggest superstar of his time. Sadly, however—just as this bungalow had bestowed stardom upon him—the time had now come for it to be taken away. Gradually, Kaka's films began to flop; he delivered seven consecutive failures. Meanwhile, the era of Amitabh Bachchan had dawned; Kaka—with his image as a romantic hero—found himself isolated, while Amitabh—with his "Angry Young Man" persona—began to dominate the box office. Solitude crept into Kaka's life and amidst the string of failed films, he began to drown himself in alcohol. He would often remark that this very bungalow had given him everything, only to eventually take it all away.

Following the passing of Rajesh Khanna in 2012, this bungalow was sold, fetching a price of approximately Rs 90 crore. Today, a high-rise building stands on the very site where the bungalow once stood, as the original structure was subsequently demolished. Just imagine: the bungalow that was inextricably linked to the stardom—and eventual downfall—of three cinematic superstars now holds nothing but fading memories. For this very reason, it came to be known within the film fraternity as a "cursed" and "inauspicious" bungalow.