64 Unopened suitcases were found at Aashirwaad bungalow after Rajesh Khanna’s death, what was inside will surely shock you

64 Unopened suitcases were found at Aashirwaad bungalow after Rajesh Khanna’s death, what was inside will surely shock you

When India’s first superstar, Rajesh Khanna, passed away in July 2012, fans mourned the loss of an icon who had once been the heartbeat of millions. But beyond the public grief and media retrospectives, something deeply symbolic was discovered at his iconic sea-facing bungalow, Aashirwaad — 64 unopened suitcases, filled with gifts.

These suitcases, quietly gathering dust in his home, were not just forgotten parcels from foreign trips. They were a window into the complexity of a man who once ruled Indian cinema, yet struggled to find companionship in his twilight years.

The revelation comes from Dark Star: The Loneliness of Being Rajesh Khanna by Gautam Chintamani, a book that explores the paradoxes of Khanna’s life — a man worshipped by fans, yet increasingly alone as the years went by. Chintamani's biography doesn't merely trace Khanna’s meteoric rise, but also delves into the emotional decline that followed.

"Every time Khanna made an overseas trip, he returned with gifts. Sometimes he presented them to the people he had picked them up for, and sometimes he forgot about them," writes Chintamani. "Many a times, he didn't even bother opening the suitcases he returned with. After his death, almost 64 unopened suitcases were found strewn across Aashirwaad."

For someone who loved to host and entertain, these unopened suitcases seem strangely out of place. The actor, famous for throwing lavish parties and surrounding himself with admirers, apparently had dozens of gifts that never reached their intended recipients.

Also Read: Sushmita Sen's ex-boyfriend Rohman Shawl reacts after trolls accuse him of 'living as Miss Universe' shadow', says, "Galaxies don't cast shadow, they shine together"

In this contrast lies a poignant truth. While the world saw Rajesh Khanna as the charming, larger-than-life figure of hits like Anand, Aradhana, and Amar Prem, the man behind the screen was far more complex — even isolated.

The unopened suitcases, as Chintamani suggests, symbolize a deeper emotional distance.

“Rajesh Khanna's loneliness was not something that was locked or hidden from sight. Neither was it a burden left behind by unprecedented fame. As is evidenced by the unopened boxes, it was possibly ingrained deep within him,” he writes.

This startling image — of gifts bought with warmth but forgotten in time — paints a picture of a man torn between the joy of giving and the solitude that eventually overwhelmed him. It wasn’t just about forgetfulness, but perhaps a quiet resignation.

“Locked up in the suitcase of his heart was the need to be alone — something that had always existed. But the world was either too blinded by the radiance of the star or too lost in the darkness surrounding it to notice.”

The gifts were never meant for display, much like the emotional layers Khanna kept to himself. These 64 suitcases now serve as quiet metaphors of missed connections and unspoken sentiments.

Rajesh Khanna died on July 18, 2012, after a prolonged illness. He was 69. Survived by his estranged wife, actress Dimple Kapadia, and daughters Twinkle and Rinke Khanna, his legacy continues — both on-screen and through stories like these that reveal the man behind the myth.