'He was envious of Amitabh Bachchan's success': Vinod Khanna returned to India on Osho's advice, spiritual leader asked him to challenge Big B by..

Vinod Khanna was an indisputable superstar at the box office in the 1970s and early 80s. He was not only known for his acting skills but also his charm and bad-boy looks. Vinod Khanna was the ultimate heartthrob, but at the peak of his career, he did what no actor would. Vinod Khanna walked away from it all and joined Osho’s commune in the United States, distancing himself from Bollywood. 

Even at the time, people were not convinced about the reasons behind Vinod Khanna's decision, but now, in a recent interview with Hindi Rush, Swami Shailendra Saraswati, late mystic Osho's brother, has shed some light on Vinod Khanna's complex decision to walk away from all the fame. Swami Shailendra Saraswati shared a rare glimpse into what was going through Vinod Khanna's mind when he was at the Rajneeshpuram ashram in Oregon.

"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," he said. For the unversed, Vinod Khanna and Swami Shailendra Saraswati shared neighboring residences at Rajneeshpuram.

Swami Shailendra Saraswati shared how Vinod Khanna told him that he missed his wife (referring to Geetanjali) and children, Akshaye Khanna and Rahul Khanna. Vinod Khanna, when he joined Osho in the US, not only left his career at its peak but also his young family.

Vinod Khanna worked as a gardener in Osho’s home, but it was Osho who could see underneath the surface, Swami Shailendra Saraswati said. "He saw that Vinod was sad, and asked people around him 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 not only left Swami Shailendra Saraswati shocked but also Vinod Khanna. "I had never imagined he had any political aspirations. But Osho had that kind of insight. He could see what even the person themselves couldn’t. He knew that in Vinod’s subconscious, there was a deep sense of loss—not of family, but of status. He had left Bollywood when he was on top. And in his absence, Amitabh Bachchan had become the number one star," Swami Shailendra Saraswati said.

Swami Shailendra Saraswati shared how Osho's insight opened Vinod Khanna's eyes. "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," he said. 

Vinod Khanna eventually returned to India in the late 1980s and resumed his work in films. He also entered politics and served as a Union Minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government. While Vinod Khanna swore allegiance to the BJP, Amitabh Bachchan maintained close ties with the Congress and the Gandhi family. 

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