'Can't go to a place like that': Rajesh Khanna's alleged GF Anita Advani on actor willing to take up Bigg Boss

Rajesh Khanna, once the heartthrob of Indian cinema and hailed as the first true superstar of Bollywood, enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame during the late 1960s and early 1970s. However, the later years of his life were marked by solitude and introspection. Despite his legendary status, Khanna reportedly battled with the challenges of fading stardom. One such moment of inner conflict surfaced when he was approached for a stint on the reality show Bigg Boss, a revelation made recently by Anita Advani, who claimed to have shared his life during his final years.

In a candid conversation on the YouTube channel Reel Meets Real with Pooja Samant, Anita opened up about the emotional turmoil Rajesh Khanna experienced when he was invited to be a part of Bigg Boss. According to her, the offer came with a hefty paycheck, yet Khanna remained hesitant.

“They were giving him a handsome amount for appearing on Bigg Boss," Anita said. "He once shared with me that if I go on Bigg Boss then I might become a better person. I was shocked when he said this. I told him it’s not worth your stature. You can’t go to a place like that. You have a different aura.”

Anita further recounted how the format of the show startled the veteran actor. When she explained the concept where celebrities are expected to live under one roof and perform regular household tasks—Khanna was both amused and bewildered.

They were giving him a handsome amount for appearing on Bigg Boss," Anita said. "He once shared with me that if I go on Bigg Boss then I might become a better person. I was shocked when he said this. I told him it’s not worth your stature. You can’t go to a place like that. You have a different aura

- Anita Advani

“I told him that they make you perform household chores there, they will ask you to do the dishes. He wondered if they would ask him to do the dishes as well? I said, ‘no, they won’t ask you to do that’,” she recalled with a smile.

Adding more perspective to the story, a 2012 article by journalist Ali Peter John also touched upon this surprising chapter in Khanna's life. According to John, the show’s makers were willing to pay a staggering Rs 3.5 crore per episode to bring the superstar on board.

“I tried to convince him, but he said no. The Colors people told me they were willing to pay him Rs 3.5 crore for every episode he appeared in, but he said no,” John said. “A few days later, he called me and said he wanted to do the show, but by then Colors had lost interest.”

Despite the allure of an enormous paycheck and a chance to reconnect with the public, Rajesh Khanna ultimately chose to stay away from the limelight of reality television. His decision reflects the complex relationship he had with fame—once basking in its glory, and later, choosing to quietly retreat from its glare.

The late actor’s journey from superstardom to solitude has often been described as both tragic and poignant. While his early films like Anand, Aradhana, and Amar Prem made him a household name, the industry’s shifting dynamics eventually led to his decline. Offers like Bigg Boss were rare chances to step back into public view, but perhaps Khanna preferred to preserve the image that millions still held in their hearts—of a larger-than-life icon untouched by the everyday.

In the end, Rajesh Khanna’s reluctance to appear on Bigg Boss perhaps reflected his desire to be remembered for the grace and mystique he once embodied on the silver screen. Even as reality TV offered him renewed visibility, he chose dignity over spectacle—leaving behind a legacy not just of stardom, but of a man who knew when to step away.