Bombay High Court Dismisses Anita Advani's Marriage Claim to Rajesh Khanna

The Bombay High Court has dismissed a petition filed by former actress Anita Advani, who sought legal acknowledgment of her relationship with the late Bollywood icon Rajesh Khanna. This decision follows a previous ruling by a civil court that rejected her suit in 2017 on technical grounds. The bench, led by Justice Sharmila Deshmukh, heard arguments from both parties, including advocates representing Advani and Khanna's estranged wife, Dimple Kapadia, along with their daughter, Twinkle Khanna, and son-in-law, Akshay Kumar.

Advani had claimed that her association with Khanna constituted a valid marriage. Despite their separation, Kapadia remained Khanna's legally wedded wife, as they had never finalised a divorce before his passing in 2012. The legal battle intensified following Khanna's death, with Advani asserting that they had secretly married and even alleging that he had applied sindoor, a mark of marriage, on her.

In addition to the marriage claim, Advani accused Khanna's family of neglecting him in his final days and of preventing her participation in his last rites. This controversy previously led her to file a domestic violence complaint against Kapadia and her family, claiming she was forcibly removed from Khanna’s residence. However, the Bombay High Court quashed this complaint in 2015.

Following Wednesday's ruling, Advani’s efforts to obtain legal recognition of her claimed marital status remain unapproved, pending a comprehensive judgment that will provide detailed reasoning for the court's decision. Anita Advani is known for her work in films, including 'Daasi', 'Aao Pyaar Karen', and 'Saazish'. Rajesh Khanna, revered as the first superstar of Bollywood, significantly impacted Hindi cinema during the late 1960s and 1970s until his death in July 2012 due to a long-term illness.