Duni Chand Khanna, a cousin of Rajesh, along with his three sons and extended family, lives close by. He recalled that Rajesh Khanna spend some of his initial years at his ancestral house and later visited the place occasionally.

Duni has a fading memory of the actor as he wasn’t regularly in touch with family and friends. Duni’s father Hukam Chand was the eldest among four brothers and three sisters. The other brothers were Muni Lal, Chunni Lal and Nand Lal. Rajesh was the son of Chunni Lal.

He said that Rajesh was born here on December 29, 1942 and was named Jatin. Chunni Lal was a Railways contractor at Lahore in pre-Partition India while the family had interests in textile business.

After Partition, Chunni Lal joined his brother Nand Lal in Mumbai. Later, Nand Lal adopted Jatin and renamed him Rajesh before he made his entry into movies. He said as his entire schooling was done in Mumbai, Rajesh used to visit Amritsar only during holidays.

The ancestral house, which was jointly in the name of Chunni Lal, Nand Lal and Muni Lal, was donated to adjacent temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is now being used as an inn and for community work.

A neighbour, Faqir Chand Sharma, recalled that Rajesh used to visit his ancestral place during holidays and they used to play together like any other group of children. He said that Rajesh’s charming looks and disarming smile made him a favourite in the neighbourhood. He said that the neighbourhood knew he would one day become a hero, but had never dreamt that he would be a film producer and a politician as well.

Another neighbour, Vijay Handa, said he was shocked to know that Rajesh Khanna, who had carved a niche for himself in tinsel town in the 1960s and 70s, had passed away.  Sourabh Khanna, son of Duni Chand, said his uncle had set a high benchmark in the family which would be difficult to emulate.

(Clockwise from left) The ancestral house of Rajesh Khanna at Gali Tiwariyan in Amritsar; Duni Chand Khanna, the actor’s cousin; and Faqir Chand Sharma, a childhood friend of the superstar. Photos: Sameer Sehgal