Vinod Khanna was an ardent follower of Osho and even worked as a gardener at his ashram. However, this was thanks to Mahesh Bhatt. Vinod frequented Pune’s Osho International Meditation Resort before shifting to Rajneeshpuram in Oregon, US, in 1982. However, it was Mahesh Bhatt whom Vinod Khanna followed to the ashram and it was also the director who helped the actor kickstart his career once he was back.
“We began our careers together in a way. Vinod played the villain in Mera Gaon Mera Desh (1971) and I was the production manager on that film. What a stunning impact he made with his portrayal! And then we did Lahu Ke Do Rang which I directed. And then we were together at the Rajneesh ashram,” Mahesh Bhatt said during a chat with SpotboyE in 2017.
“Frankly, I was instrumental in a way for Vinod Khanna joining the Osho commune. He had seen me donning the saffron robe and expressed a desire to join Rajneesh. I came back in a little over 2 years, but he stayed on. In fact, he even followed Rajneesh to the US and aborted his successful film career. That really shocked everybody; he had almost touched his peak just around that time,” he added.
In the same chat, Mahesh Bhatt talked about Vinod Khanna’s return to Bollywood and helping him restart his career. “Rajneesh ashram collapsed after some time and Rajneesh was handcuffed and jailed. The Osho show was over. Vinod returned but he couldn’t get the momentum he had in Bollywood. Things had changed in the industry. But we did a film together, Jurm,” he said.
In 2020, Vinod’s son, Akshaye Khanna also talked about his father’s belief in Osho. “As a five-year-old, it was impossible to understand it. Osho had nothing to do with my thoughts about why my dad wasn’t there. That came much later… It’s a life-changing decision, which he (Vinod Khanna) felt that he needed to take at the time. Something must have moved him so deeply inside, that he felt that that kind of decision was worth it for him. Especially, when you have everything in life. And when life doesn’t look as though there’s much more that you can have,” Akshaye said.
Vinod Khan passed away on April 27, 2017, after a long battle with cancer.
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