| Anju Mahendru | |
| Partner: | Imtiaz Khan (1972–1979)[1] Garfield Sobers (1971) Rajesh Khanna (1966–1972)[2] |
| Birth Place: | Bombay, Bombay Presidency, British India (present-day Mumbai, Maharashtra, India) |
| Years Active: | 1966–present |
| Relatives: | Madan Mohan (maternal uncle) |
Anju Mahendru is an Indian actress. She is best known as Reeva in Kahiin to Hoga, Kamini Gupta in Kasautii Zindagii Kay and Beeji in Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behna Hai.
Anju Mahendru's mother is the sister of the music director Madan Mohan.[3]
Mahendru was briefly engaged to cricket player Gary Sobers.[4]
Mahendru had a long relationship with actor Rajesh Khanna from 1966 to 1972. Khanna's mother had wanted Khanna to marry soon, since he had turned 27 and had become hugely popular by 1969, but when Khanna proposed Anju in 1971 she said she wanted to postpone her marriage as she wanted to make career as an actress. Khanna continued to love Mahendru and kept asking her to marry him. Mahendru's mother was fond of Khanna and Khanna went on to gift them a bungalow as well. But then there were reports of her dating Gary Sobers in 1971 and later Imtiaz Khan from 1972 and Khanna had become fed up with her non-commitment to marriage, which resulted in Khanna breaking up with Mahendru in 1972.
It was then that Khanna married Dimple Kapadia in March 1973, eight months before the film Bobby released.[5] Anju and Rajesh did not speak with each other till 1987. Anju dated Imtiaz Khan[1] from 1972 to 1979 but Anju broke off from Imtiaz in 1979.
Anju became friends again with Rajesh from 1988 and Anju remained his close friend till Khanna's death and was by his side when he died. She confessed in an interview that it was because of her immaturity that she frivolously declined Khanna's offer of marriage to her in 1971 and had she accepted marriage she would have remained his wife.[6]
Mahendru started modelling at the age of 13. She was discovered by poet and lyricist Kaifi Azmi who recommended her to Basu Bhattacharya. Basu cast her in Uski Kahani in 1966. Uski Kahani was the debut film for Mahendru as well as the first directorial venture of Basu Bhattacharya. She later went on to act in films such as Jewel Thief, Bandhan, Intaqam and Dastak. She never made it as a leading lady and moved to character roles. She was also featured in Nari Hira's television films featuring up and coming Aditya Pancholi in the mid-1980s.
She made a comeback in the 1990s in television acting in various soaps. She played Trishna's mother-in-law in the TV serial Hamari Betiyoon Ka Vivaah on Zee TV. She acted as Maan's daadi in Geet – Hui Sabse Parayi. she also played the role of Jeevika, Maanvi, and Daboo's daadi in Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behna Hai. She is seen as Sujatha in StarPlus' Yeh Hai Mohabbatein. Currently, she is seen as Gayatri Singh, the grandmother of the female lead, Anami, in Rishton Ka Chakravyuh on StarPlus.
Other popular Hindi TV serials she acted in are Shingora (1986), Swabhimaan (1995), and Kasautii Zindagii Kay (2003).