Vinod Khanna was at the peak of his career when he left movies and got into spirituality. He had joined Osho’s aashram in the early 1980s. He then returned to Bollywood after spending some years at the aashram. However, did you know that it was actually Mahesh Bhatt who introduced him to the spiritual guru. Khanna’s spiritual detour remains one of the most talked-about chapters of his life. At the height of his popularity, he stepped away from the arc lights, choosing instead to immerse himself in the teachings of his spiritual guide, Osho Rajneesh. Veteran actor Kabir Bedi, while speaking to Siddharth Kannan, offered fresh insights into this transformative phase of Khanna’s journey. “He was a very special person. Besides being an actor, he also had a spiritual dimension. Once he met Osho, started learning meditation and gaining experience, his life began changing,” Bedi shared. As Osho relocated to the United States to set up his ashram in Oregon, Khanna followed him, leaving his Bollywood career behind. Bedi, who was in California during that time, recalled their occasional meet-ups. “When Osho had to leave India, go to the US and build an ashram in Oregon state, Vinod left everything behind and joined him… So, whenever Vinod yearned for some relief from the ashram, he would come to Los Angeles, and we would meet and talk. He used to tell me all the gossip from the ashram because there would always be some drama in every organisation,” he said. While Bedi acknowledged the value of Osho’s teachings, he also pointed out the controversy surrounding his community in Oregon. “Although I respect Osho and his philosophy, his disciples in Oregon did certain things that the Netflix documentary (Wild Wild Country) also shined light on. However, the Netflix documentary did not show Osho’s entire life. It failed to explore his importance, significance and teachings. It only focused on the Oregon incident,” Bedi remarked.Vinod Khanna eventually returned to India and got back to his life again. He had to start again from scratch. “Eventually, Osho had to flee the US as well as the authorities there began cracking down on him, particularly due to visa violations for trying to build a town while on a tourist visa. With that, Vinod returned to India and started his life again. He rented a small one-bedroom flat and began working on his life. And he did that well; the industry accepted him. He eventually built a successful career,” Bedi concluded.
