By Admin 
Akshay Khanna has become an internet sensation since the release of Aditya Dhar’s film ‘Dhurandhar’. While on one hand his popularity has reached its peak, on the other hand the excitement among people to know his personal life has also increased. However, Akshay Khanna likes to stay away from glare. Whereas his father Vinod Khanna enjoyed stardom a lot. And when he was at his peak, he abandoned it and turned to spirituality. He left his wife and two sons Akshay and Rahul Khanna and took refuge in Osho’s ashram. Let us know here who was Akshay’s mother and Vinod Khanna’s ex-wife Geetanjali and why did the late veteran actor get divorced from his wife?
Who was Akshaye Khanna’s mother Geetanjali?
Let us tell you that Vinod Khanna’s first wife, Geetanjali Taleyarkhan, was from a famous Parsi family and was a model. Her family was full of lawyers and businessmen and she became the first member of her family to step into the world of glamour. Gitanjali, A.F.S. Taleyarkhan, who was considered one of the earliest commentators of India in the 1950s.
How did Vinod Khanna and Geetanjali meet for the first time?,
Vinod Khanna first met Geetanjali during his college days and Vinod was attracted towards her at first sight. The two started dating when Vinod had not yet made his mark in the film industry. According to Bollywood Shaadi.com, shortly after this, she was noticed by actor-producer Sunil Dutt, who offered her her first film ‘Mann Ka Meet’, which marked the beginning of her acting career.
1971 Vinod Khanna married Geetanjali in 2017
As Vinod’s popularity and success increased, he decided to get married. Then in 1971, he had a grand wedding with his lady love Geetanjali in the presence of many well-known personalities from the film industry. A year later, the couple welcomed their first son, Rahul Khanna, and then Akshaye Khanna in 1975. In both his professional and personal life, Vinod gave priority to his family, he even made a rule of not working on Sundays.
Vinod Khanna retired in 1982
Despite enjoying fame, success and a happy family life, Vinod Khanna started feeling like turning towards spirituality. At the peak of his career, he decided to renounce worldly life and took sannyasa in 1982, leaving Bollywood and joining Osho’s ashram. This decision completely changed his personal life.
Why did Vinod Khanna get divorced from his first wife Gitanjali?
Initially, while living in America, Vinod remained in touch with Geetanjali and his children through phone. However, the distance proved difficult for them, especially as their two sons were growing up. Geetanjali had to struggle a lot to survive as a single parent and told how the children were often questioned about their father’s absence. After trying to handle everything alone for three years and convincing Vinod to return home, Geetanjali finally gives him an ultimatum that he has to choose between his family and his spiritual path. When Vinod did not respond, she filed for divorce and the couple were legally separated in 1985.
Although Vinod returned to India in 1987, his first marriage broke due to his long stay in the ashram. Some time ago, in an interview, Akshay had told what impact his father’s visit to Osho’s Ashram had on him. Recalling that time, Akshay had told Mid-Day, “Not just leaving his family, but taking Sanyas. Sanyas means giving up one’s life completely, family is just a part of it. It was a life-changing decision, which he felt was necessary to take at that time. As a five-year-old child, it was impossible for me to understand it. Now I can understand it.”
Vinod Khanna had second marriage with Kavita Daftari.
On returning to India, Vinod restarted his acting career on the advice of Osho. The film industry welcomed her and at the age of 43, she fell in love again. Then he married Kavita Daftari in 1990. The couple had two children, a son and a daughter. However, Geetanjali Taleyarkhan never married again. She had dedicated her life to the upbringing of Rahul and Akshay, away from the public glare. A year after Vinod Khanna’s death in 2017, Geetanjali also died in 2018 at the age of 70.