4 min readNew DelhiMay 8, 2026 04:35 PM IST
Veteran actor Moushumi Chatterjee, who worked with Rajesh Khanna in films such as Anuraag, Prem Bandhan and Bhola Bhala, recently opened up about her experience of working with Hindi cinema’s first superstar.
In a conversation with NDTV, Moushumi revisited her memories of the late actor and described him as “a spoilt brat”.
“He was a spoilt brat. His success was always in his head,” she said while speaking about Rajesh Khanna’s larger-than-life stardom during his peak years.
As Rajesh Khanna’s stardom began fading during the rise of Amitabh Bachchan, the actor was often linked with loneliness, frustration and struggles with alcohol.
Whether Rajesh Khanna was lonely
When Moushumi Chatterjee was asked if she noticed that loneliness in him during those years, she said, “No, it is all karma. The way you design your life, and the way you pretend to be what you are not, and the way you respond to all relationships.”
She added, “If you say everybody is alone, you should know how to enjoy your alone time. Don’t feel lonely. I enjoy being alone. And I see that kind of vacuum; everybody goes through it in life. Take Kishore Kumar, Madhubala — they all went through it. Whatever is happening, it’s all part of your life. It is not your entire life.”
Speaking about hierarchy and power equations in Bollywood at the time, Moushumi said, “Whoever was at the top felt whatever they said had to be obeyed. It was always there. Everybody who rules feels they can rule everything.”
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When Moushumi gave it back to Rajesh Khanna
In an earlier interview with Lehren Retro, Moushumi had also shared some lesser-known anecdotes about Rajesh Khanna and their equation over the years. Recalling one particular incident, she revealed that Rajesh Khanna once asked her whether the father of her daughter was her husband Jayanta Mukherjee or actor Vinod Mehra
“Rajesh Khanna played dirty many times. Today, he is no more. I went to see him also in his last stage. He was praising me in front of my younger daughter. He said to her, ‘Your maa was mad but we were all scared of her. She doesn’t believe in any nonsense’,” Moushumi said.
Talking about Rajesh Khanna’s remark, Moushumi said, “Yes, I gave him back. I asked him, ‘Is it Rishi Kapoor’s child or yours?” Moushumi was referring to Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia’s daughters and said that her response left him speechless.
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Difference between Amitabh Bachchan and Rajesh Khanna
In another interview with Filmfare, Moushumi compared Rajesh Khanna’s personality with Amitabh Bachchan’s behaviour on film sets. “Amitabh Bachchan ko maine kabhi nahi dekha chamcha chamchi ke saath (I never saw Amitabh Bachchan surrounded by yes men). I have never seen any buddies around him that don’t need to be, but I used to see them with Rajesh Khanna. He needed that pampering and attention,” she shared.
The actor also recalled how Rajesh Khanna would jokingly teach her Hindi abuses during shoots. “He used to teach me abuses. He used to laugh because I used to just say it. I was innocent, I didn’t know what was the meaning,” she said.
Rajesh Khanna was married to Dimple Kapadia and they were parents to daughters Twinkle Khanna and Rinke Khanna. Moushumi Chatterjee married Jayanta Mukherjee at the age of 15 and the couple had two daughters, Megha and Payal. Payal, who was diagnosed with diabetes at a young age, passed away in 2019 at the age of 45.
