The Bombay High Court has rejected an appeal filed by former actor Anita Advani, who had sought legal acknowledgment of her relationship with late Bollywood icon Rajesh Khanna as a valid marriage. The court upheld the earlier decision of a lower court, which had dismissed her suit.
On Wednesday, a bench led by Justice Sharmila Deshmukh delivered the ruling after hearing submissions from both sides. Legal representatives for Advani, as well as those appearing for Khanna’s estranged wife Dimple Kapadia, his daughter Twinkle Khanna, and son-in-law Akshay Kumar, presented their arguments before the court. While the appeal has been dismissed, the detailed judgment explaining the court’s reasoning is yet to be released.
Advani had approached the High Court following a 2017 decision by a civil court that rejected her plea on technical grounds. In her case, she had requested the court to formally declare that her relationship with Rajesh Khanna constituted a legitimate marriage.
Despite their separation, Dimple Kapadia remained Khanna’s lawful wife, as the couple had never legally divorced. This fact played a significant role in the dispute over Advani’s claims.
After Khanna died in 2012, Advani had publicly stated that she shared a long-term relationship with him and alleged that they had married privately, claiming that he had applied sindoor on her as a symbol of their union. She also accused members of Khanna’s family of neglecting him in his final days and preventing her from participating in his last rites.
The matter had previously led to additional legal proceedings. Advani had filed a domestic violence complaint in a Bandra magistrate court against Dimple Kapadia, Twinkle Khanna, and Akshay Kumar, alleging that she had been forcibly evicted from Khanna’s residence. However, in 2015, the Bombay High Court dismissed those charges and quashed the case against them.
With this latest ruling, Advani’s effort to obtain legal recognition of her alleged marital relationship with Rajesh Khanna has once again been denied, although the court’s detailed explanation is still awaited.
Anita Advani, a former actress, is known for her appearances in films such as “Daasi,” “Aao Pyaar Karen,” and “Saazish.” Rajesh Khanna, widely regarded as Hindi cinema’s first superstar, rose to immense fame during the late 1960s and 1970s with a remarkable streak of successful films and a massive fan following. He passed away in Mumbai in July 2012 after battling a prolonged illness.
