Lesser-known wives of famous Bollywood actors

It is fair to say that Bollywood marriages have the paparazzi spotlight as their unsaid third-wheel. However, in the Indian cinema industry -- known for one big B-world name marrying another -- some actors have chosen to tie the knot with people outside of the industry and kept their marriage and spouses out of the limelight for various reasons. While the prying eyes of the media can be hard to dodge, a few Bollywood wives have managed to maintain a profile low enough to hardly find any information about them in the public realm. 

Here are 8 such Bollywood wives you might have not known about.

Priya Runchal

John Abraham married his NRI wife Priya Runchal after four years of courtship in 2014. The couple first met in 2010 through mutual friends, after John and Bollywood actor Bipasha Basu ended a decade long relationship. Priya is said to be an investment banker and a financial analyst by profession. Talking about how his wife has managed to keep herself out of the spotlight, John said that she prefers to sit back and do some real work. 

Rukmini Sahay

Neil Nitin Mukesh married Rukmini Sahay is an arranged setup. Though it’s not common for Bollywood actors to go down the arranged marriage route, Neil said that an arranged marriage made more sense to him as he feels it is a strong foundation. Rukmini is an aviation graduate. After being introduced by their families, the two dated for a few months before getting engaged. The couple is now proud parents to a girl child. 

Tanya Deol

One of the most famous Bollywood stars of the 90’s Bobby Deol, got married to Tanya Deol in 1996. Bobby fell in love with Tanya when he saw her at a restaurant. After dating, Bobby is said to have proposed to Tanya in the same restaurant where he first saw her. Tanya is an interior designer by profession. Even after being married to a famous actor, she has managed to keep a low profile for over two decades now. 

Parveen Shahani

Emraan Hashmi and Parveen Shahani started dating long before he made it to the big screen. The two tied the knot in 2006 after 10 years of dating. Emraan Hashmi, who is famous for his on-screen kisses, revealed that he gives his understanding wife a handbag for every on-screen kiss, which she now has a cupboardful. The couple is known to be a strong team and a pillar of support for each other, especially during their son Ayaan’s victorious fight against cancer. 

Sarita Birje

R Madhavan met his now-wife Sarita Birje during the communication and public speaking classes he used to conduct before becoming an actor. Sarita, a then aspiring air hostess, joined his personality development class and asked him out on a date after she became an air hostess. The couple got married in 1999 after 8 years of courtship. While she has assisted in designing Madhavan’s clothes for a few of his movies, she prefers to stay away from the Bollywood spotlight. 

Prerna Chopra 

The fact that Sharman Joshi married Prerna Chopra, daughter of famous veteran Bollywood actor Prem Chopra, and still managed to escape the glitter of show business is quite surprising. The couple perfectly fits into the requisites of a dreamy college romance. After dating for years, the two got married in 2000. Prerna Chopra is a businesswoman by profession and has been a constant support for Sharman in his acting career. They two are parents to a daughter and twin sons. 

Priyanka Alva Oberoi

Vivek Oberoi, whose career had quite a momentum in the early 2000s, married Priyanka Alva, daughter of former Karnataka minister Jeevraj Alva, in 2010. Priyanka, an active social worker, is associated with a number of NGOs and prefers to stay away from the Bollywood buzz. 

Mana Shetty

Suniel Shetty married Mana Shetty long before he stepped into Bollywood. Suniel, like any other regular boy, had to put a lot of effort into wooing Mana before he could get a yes. The couple, owing to their different cultural backgrounds, had to wait for 9 years to get married. Mana is an entrepreneur by profession. The couple has two kids Athiya and Ahan Shetty, who are aiming to make it big in Bollywood.