Rajesh Khanna and Shatrughan Sinha: Friendship Strained by Elections, Unresolved Until the End

Mumbai: Legendary actor Shatrughan Sinha recently reflected on a painful chapter in his friendship with the late Rajesh Khanna, revealing how politics created an enduring rift between the two stars. The fallout occurred when both actors contested the Delhi elections against each other, leading Rajesh Khanna to distance himself for several years.

In an interview with The Times of India, Shatrughan recalled, “We fought the Delhi elections against each other. Rajesh Khanna found it hard to accept that I was his opponent. I told him, ‘I am not contesting against you personally. It’s the political party that decides who stands where.’” Despite L.K. Advani winning by a huge margin, Rajesh Khanna also secured a victory from Gandhinagar by over a lakh votes, forcing him to relinquish the Delhi seat.

Shatrughan added that the two were pitted against each other again when the seat became vacant, with Rajesh losing by just 2,000–3,000 votes. “Politics left deep scars on our long-standing friendship,” he admitted. “After the election, he stopped talking to me. I tried to make amends and even apologized years later. I had hoped to visit him when I was discharged from the hospital, but fate had other plans.”

Sadly, Shatrughan never got the chance. “One day, my daughter Sonakshi told me that Rajesh Khanna Uncle was no longer with us. I had apologized to him long before, but I never got to see him again,” he reflected emotionally.

A Cinematic Bond Beyond Politics
Despite their political differences, Shatrughan Sinha and Rajesh Khanna shared a remarkable journey in Hindi cinema. They starred together in films like Muqabla (1979), Dushman Dost (1981), Naseeb (1981), Dil-e-Nadaan (1982), Maqsad (1984), and Aaj Ka MLA Ram Avtar (1984). Their on-screen camaraderie remains an unforgettable chapter in Bollywood history, proving that even politics cannot erase the magic of cinema.