Vinod Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan were close competitors in the 1970s. (Photo: Express Archives)Bollywood star Vinod Khanna was enjoying massive success in the movies when he decided to give it all up and join Osho’s band of followers in the 1970s. Like thousands of others, Vinod followed Osho, who was then known as Bhagwan Rajneesh, to Oregon to live in his commune. However, after living here for a few years, Vinod returned to India and joined the movies again. In a recent interview, Osho’s brother Swami Shailendra Saraswati, shared that he lived close to Vinod’s residence at Rajnesshpuram and they spent a lot of time together. “I know what he was going through. People think that a successful man is successful in every way but that’s not it. They might be going through a lot otherwise, and only they know about it,” he told Galatta India.Shailendra Saraswati said that Vinod would “often cry” and when Osho enquired why he was so upset, Vinod shared that he was missing his wife and kids. But, Osho suspected that wasn’t the case. Osho, in fact, suspected that Vinod was jealous of Amitabh Bachchan, his biggest competitor, who had scaled new heights ever since Vinod left the industry. “Osho said he is not missing his wife and kids. After Vinod moved to the US, Vinod’s biggest competitor, Amitabh Bachchan has become an MP, and unconsciously, he is deeply jealous of him. Vinod is not aware of that,” he recalled.Osho recommended that Vinod join the opposition party, and contest elections against Bachchan. “Vinod broke down after he learnt this, and said this wasn’t the case. He said I don’t care about politics, I only miss my family. Osho said, ‘No, this isn’t it, you are just talking about your emotions on the surface level. You are hiding pain and I can see that. Your mind is superficial and it is telling you that you miss your kids. You are just jealous of Bachchan. You should fight against him,” he said.ALSO READ | Abused by mother, Bollywood’s biggest child star would be denied food after slaving all day, danced for money on stage; no one from Bollywood attended her funeralShailendra Saraswati claimed that after Vinod came back to India, he didn’t connect with his family, who he claimed to miss in the US. He fell in love with someone else and started a new family. “Later, Vinod said that Osho was right. I wasn’t connected to my wife or kids. He said after entering politics, I don’t think that even with this you can get anything,” he shared.Click here to follow Screen Digital on YouTube and stay updated with the latest from the world of cinema.© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd