Hrithik and Sussanne Roshan’s decision to separate came as a shock to tinsel town. Some say it was his philandering ways, some say it was a tiff with her in-laws. Whatever the reason, another lovey-dovey couple bit the dust.
The beginning...
A teenaged Hrithik Roshan wooed Sussanne Khan — whom he’d seen in a car at a traffic signal and instantly fallen in love with — with bars of Cadbury’s Five Stars and African daisies and a little help from his best friend Uday Chopra. But he’d already decided he wanted to marry her. Though Khan was in love with him, Roshan allegedly wavered between her and Kareena Kapoor, who was to debut with him in the 2000 blockbuster Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai. Also, Rakesh and Pinky Roshan, and Sanjay and Zarine Khan, Khan and Roshan’s parents, were keen that the childhood sweethearts tie the knot. Hasty preparations were made for a wedding at Khan’s Golden Palm Resort in Bengaluru.
Roshan and Khan were seen as the ideal couple, joined to the hip at various events, family gatherings, etc. She was the much-loved daughter-in-law who limited her involvement in her superstar husband’s work to just his wardrobe. The media was full of stories about their lovely relationship: he spoke of how her little pranks delighted him; she built him a “Big Boy’s toy room” filled with gadgets he loved.
The nightmare…
Trouble started brewing when Roshan was shooting in Singapore for Krrish 2 with Priyanka Chopra. Chopra, who had just received news of her father being detected with cancer, turned to Roshan for support. Before long, the buzz was that Chopra and he were together. Apparently, this was the first time Khan walked out. Roshan Sr did his best for damage control, saying his son was only helping a friend in distress.
However, things worsened with Barbara Mori’s entry into Bollywood in the Roshan home production Kites. Though Mori returned home after the film, rumour has it that Roshan still maintained a relationship with her. Soon after, Khan moved out of the Roshans’ home. Rakesh made a statement attributing the move to termite trouble. They supported their daughter-in-law and Roshan was in the dog house till he got his act together.
The split…
Khan stayed with Roshan during his brain surgery but moved out soon after with her children. They haven’t been seen together in public for sometime now, even during outings with the kids.
Headlines buzzed about Khan and Arjun Rampal last week. They had been seen together in Goa. But Rampal said in a statement: “It is very sad when friends close to you take a decision to separate. These are the hardest times for them. I read in the news at the same time as you all about my involvement in this separation. It saddens me deeply, and Mehr and I wish them only peace and love through these times.”
The Roshans have handled the situation with dignity without washing their dirty laundry in public.
We take a look at some earlier Bollywood break-ups:
Anurag Kashyap-Kalki Koechlin (2009-2013): Trouble started brewing in the Kashyap-Koechlin marriage with rumours swirling about Kashyap’s involvement with his Gangs of Wasseypur heroine Huma Qureshi. Even though both rubbished the link-up, Koechlin and Kashyap separated last month.
“Kalki and I are separating. We are not divorcing,” Kashyap said in a joint media statement after the split. He requested the media to “respect [their] privacy” and “not speculate”.
Aamir Khan-Reena Dutta (1983-2002): Another teenaged romance gone wrong. Khan was 18 when he started seeing the 20-year-old Dutta. They seemed to have a solid relationship as Dutta stuck by his side despite his alleged link-ups with Twinkle Khanna, Pooja Bhatt and others. The duo separated when Khan’s closeness with his Lagaan assistant director Kiran Rao became apparent. Khan married Rao the same year his 16-year-old marriage ended. Dutta and Khan are, however, an exceptional couple who still share a friendly relationship with each other, and two children, Ira, 16, and Junaid, 21. Rao and Khan are parents of two-year-old Azad Rao Khan.
Saif Ali Khan-Amrita Singh (1991-2004): Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh eloped, but the 13-year-old marriage met with a bitter end. Singh, who decided to quit acting to be a homemaker, was left struggling with her two children Sara and Ibrahim when Khan left her. Years later, Singh, who is 12 years elder to Khan, told a Bollywood film magazine how his roving eye led to a troubled relationship. The final nail in the coffin was Khan’s affair with Rosa, an Italian model. He is now married to Bollywood superstar Kareena Kapoor.
Karisma Kapoor-Sanjay Kapur (2003- ): Kapoor has said to have married her childhood friend Kapur on the rebound. She had only just broken her engagement to Abhishek Bachchan. Though the couple is not divorced, they’ve had a rocky relationship since they married in 2003. Known to be a philanderer, Kapur is often seen in New Delhi with socialite Priya Sachdeva while Kapoor lives in Mumbai with their kids, Samaira,8, and Kiaan Raj, 3.
Rajesh Khanna-Dimple Kapadia (1973-2012): Though Kapadia and Khanna did not divorce until his death last year, their marriage was doomed from the beginning due to their erratic lifestyles. Khanna’s philandering ways and their age gap (he was 15 years elder to her) drew a deep wedge between them that led to their separation in 1984. A former actress has reportedly said: “Dimple was forced to grow up after she got married. Khanna has always been a very orthodox person; however, he always fell in love with modern girls.” Khanna, on the other hand, summed up their relationship by saying: “I married Dimple on the rebound from Anju [Mahendru] and Tina [Munim] was a balm on the wounds inflicted by Dimple.”
Sanjay Dutt-Richa Sharma (1987-1996); Sanjay Dutt-Rhea Pillai (1998-2005): Sanjay Dutt’s marriage to the late Richa Sharma was beset with problems soon after their daughter Trishala was born. Dutt had married Sharma on the rebound (Tina Munim had left him). Sharma re-located to her parents’ home in the US with her daughter due to his philandering ways and she died of cancer in 1996. Dutt married Rhea Pillai who stood by him when he was first arrested for “terrorist” activities. She separated due to the same reasons. It has been reported that he paid Pillai’s expenses, which included a high-end apartment and travel abroad, while they were separated. It was only when she was to marry tennis player Leander Paes did Pillai seek divorce from Dutt. Dutt who is now married to actress Maanyata, has three-year-old twins Shahraan and Iqra with her.
— BM&C
