Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty, who made her film debut with Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol starrer 'Baazigar' (1993), had intermittent success in the rest of the decade. 'Dhadkan' (2000) marked a turning point in Shilpa Shetty's career. From there on, Shilpa Shetty went on to become a superstar in the 90s.
Because her life was always in the spotlight, Shilpa Shetty was often linked with many actors and co-stars. Her most high-profile relationship was with Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar. The two were also
rumoured to be engaged, however, things did not work out between them and they parted ways.
Shilpa Shetty then got married to businessman Raj Kundra in November 2009. But, marrying Shilpa Shetty was not a cakewalk for Raj Kundra.
In an old interview, speaking about his love story with Shilpa Shetty, Raj Kundra said that he first met the actress through his manager. Shilpa Shetty was not interested in a romantic relationship at the time.
"I'd like to say woh diya le ke mere peeche bhaagi (she ran after me with a lamp in her hand) that you are the one I have to marry, but that would be lying. Main toh haath paer dho ke peeche padh gaya (I really chased her), once I knew there was a little inclination of friendliness or that she liked me, I said, chalo, let's try," Raj Kundra was quoted as saying.
He further said, "I said, let's try. But Shilpa said, 'Raj, this will not work.' She was very outspoken, she did not give me a chance to convince her. I said, 'Why won't this work?'"
Shilpa Shetty told Raj Kundra that she would not leave Mumbai and India and since he lived in London, they won't be able to make the relationship work.
Raj Kundra, in the same interview then revealed how he convinced the actress. He called up producer Vashu Bhagnani and told him that he was interested in buying a home in Mumbai. Within 10 minutes, Raj Kundra bought a house in Juhu without even looking it up.
After this Raj Kundra told Shilpa Shetty, "You were saying you only wanted to live in Mumbai. You probably know where Amitabh Bachchan lives. I've bought a house next to his, now let's talk."
Shilpa Shetty couldn’t say no to this romantic gesture and the couple, thus got married in 2009 with pomp and show. The couple has two children - a son named Vivaan and a daughter named Samisha. Shilpa Shetty's estimated net worth is Rs 134 crore.
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