In the glittering realm of Bollywood, the story of Vinod Khanna’s exit stands as a peculiar chapter. During the height of his fame in the 1970s and early 80s, Khanna was a superstar, captivating audiences with his acting prowess and rugged charm. Yet, at the pinnacle of his career, he chose an unthinkable path, departing from the limelight to join the spiritual commune of Osho in the United States, leaving Bollywood and family behind.
The underlying reasons for this decision were not immediately clear to the public, as Swami Shailendra Saraswati, Osho’s brother, recently revealed in an interview. He provided insight into Khanna’s state of mind during his time at the Rajneeshpuram ashram in Oregon, reflecting on the complexities behind Khanna’s choice.
Swami Saraswati remarked, “These people (actors and celebrities) are sapno ke saudagar (sellers of dreams). They create illusions on screen, but their own lives are often far from perfect. There’s a lot of turmoil behind the glamour.” Living next to Khanna at the ashram, he witnessed firsthand the introspection and conflict Khanna endured.
The Influence of Osho
While working as a gardener in Osho’s abode, Khanna struggled with personal dissonance. According to Swami Saraswati, Osho sensed Khanna’s inner turmoil. Though Khanna spoke of missing his family—his wife Geetanjali and sons, Akshaye and Rahul—Osho perceived a deeper unrest. “He saw that Vinod was sad,” Saraswati recounted, “and asked what was bothering him. They said he missed his family. But Osho wasn’t convinced. He said, ‘No, he’s not missing his family. Tell him to go back to India and fight an election against Amitabh Bachchan.’”
This suggestion surprised both Saraswati and Khanna, unveiling Osho’s unique insight. Vinod Khanna’s political aspirations were unforeseen, yet Osho discerned a profound void left by Khanna’s departure from the film industry when Amitabh Bachchan had ascended as the predominant star. Khanna’s heartache was tied less to familial absence and more to a loss of stature and position within Bollywood.
Return to India and Political Ventures
Osho’s perceptiveness catalyzed a revelation for Khanna, who realized that his envy of Amitabh Bachchan masked his deeper longing for his previous status. As Swami Saraswati described, “Vinod’s conscious mind was trying to convince him he was a nobleman who missed his family. But Osho said what he really missed was his position, his place at the top. He was envious of Bachchan, and that pain was manifesting in other ways.”
Returning to India in the late 1980s, Vinod Khanna reclaimed his footing in cinema and forayed into politics. His political career saw him as a Union Minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government. Despite this, the paths of Vinod Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan diverged, with Khanna aligning with the BJP and Bachchan maintaining connections with the Congress and the Gandhi family.
Vinod Khanna’s journey illustrates the tumult that often shadows the glimmer of celebrity lives. His story is a poignant reminder of the human struggles embedded within the allure of success, shedding light on the intricate layers of envy, aspiration, and self-discovery.
