By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
For veteran actor Anju Mahendru, this weekend has become a poignant reminder of two defining relationships that shaped different chapters of her life.
Just a day after the death of West Indies cricket legend Sir Garry Sobers, Mahendru on Saturday remembered Bollywood’s first superstar Rajesh Khanna on his 14th death anniversary, bringing together two deeply personal moments separated by decades but linked by the calendar.
Sir Garry Sobers, widely regarded as one of the greatest all-round cricketers the game has ever produced, passed away on Friday. His death came only a day before the anniversary of Rajesh Khanna’s demise on July 18, 2012, creating an extraordinary coincidence in the life of Mahendru, who shared significant relationships with both iconic personalities.
Mahendru and Rajesh Khanna were among Bollywood’s most celebrated couples during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Their relationship lasted several years before they parted ways. Khanna went on to marry actor Dimple Kapadia, while Mahendru remained one of the most important figures in his early life. Despite their separation, reports over the years suggested that the two maintained mutual respect and occasionally reconnected during Khanna’s final years.
Before Kaka, Mahendru had found companionship in Sir Garry Sobers, the Barbadian cricket great whose brilliance with both bat and ball made him one of the sport’s most revered figures. Their relationship attracted considerable public attention at the time, even though the two eventually chose different paths.
The coincidence of Sobers’ death being followed immediately by Rajesh Khanna’s death anniversary has drawn attention on social media, where many users reflected on the remarkable connection between Mahendru and two legends from entirely different worlds—one who transformed Indian cinema and another who redefined the art of cricket.
While their careers unfolded on different stages and continents, Rajesh Khanna and Sir Garry Sobers left behind enduring legacies that continue to inspire millions. For Anju Mahendru, however, the two consecutive days are likely to remain deeply personal—serving as a reminder of two extraordinary men who occupied important places in her life, and whose memories now converge on the calendar almost every year.
