Actress Juhi Chawla has revealed in an interview with Rajeev Masand why she kept her 1995 wedding to businessman Jay Mehta hush hush, enabled by the lack of social media. Juhi, 52, was "afraid of losing (her) career" just as she had made it big - the actress was a top star by the time, with hits like Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Darr, Bol Radha Bol, Aaina and Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke in her film credits. She had also already appeared in cult comedy Andaz Apna Apna as herself, a testament to her numero uno status. Unsurprising, then, that Juhi Chawla didn't want to turn her back on her hard won success in a notoriously unforgiving industry.
Speaking to Rajeev Masand, Juhi Chawla said, "I was just about established and doing well. That's the time Jay was serenading me and I was afraid of losing my career just when I had kind of got there. I wanted to carry on and this seemed the midway." Only some family members and friends knew about the wedding, and hit was relatively simple to keep it a secret. "At that time, you did not have the internet and you did not have cameras on every phone, so you could do it that way," Juhi said.
Now married 24 years, Juhi Chawla revealed that she and Jay Mehta met through friends before she made her debut in Bollywood. They reconnected after some years at a dinner party. "From then on, everywhere I went, he turned up. Everywhere I looked, he was there with flowers and notes and gifts. Every day! On my birthday, I remember he sent me a truckload of red roses. I was like, 'What do you do with a truckload of flowers?' He really did all he could. After a year, he proposed," Juhi told Rajeev Masand.
Juhi Chawla, a former Miss India, and Jay Mehta have a son and a daughter.
Take a look at this picture shared by the actress:
Apart from the films named above, Juhi is known for her work in hits such as Ishq and Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman. Juhi Chawla was last seen in Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga, along with Sonam Kapoor, Anil Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao. As of now, the actress has not announced any new project that she might be working on.
