From Dharmendra-Hema Malini To Mahesh Bhatt-Soni Razdan, These Bollywood Couples Got Married Secretly

In 1980, Bollywood icon Dharmendra secretly married Hema Malini, despite her already being married to Prakash Kaur with four children. This union, which defied bigamy laws, set a trend for secretive marriages in the film industry. Six years later, Vijayta Pandit married director Sameer Malkan at the ISKCON Temple in Mumbai, after being jilted by her Love Story co-star, Kumar Gaurav. Both were consenting adults, but the Pandits disapproved of the secret ceremony. Eventually, Sameer and Vijayta's marriage became public.

In 1986, Zarina Wahab secretly married Aditya Pancholi, who was under contract with a production house. The couple, who later had two children, Shohra and Alia, followed in their parents' footsteps, with Nanabhai Bhatt and Shirin Mohammad Ali being Hindu and Shia-Muslim respectively. Mahesh Bhatt, too, followed this pattern when he secretly married Soni Razdan after already having two children with Kiran.

The couple, now proud parents of Shaheen and Alia, also have doting grandparents in Bollywood, with Raha being their granddaughter.

Chennai-based producer Shreekant Nahata secretly married actress Jaya Prada, despite being smitten by her. The couple, who later faced estrangement, had their marriage blessed by Jaya's family. Padmini Kolhapure, another major actress from the 80s, also followed suit when she secretly married producer Pradeep Sharma at a midnight ceremony. Both Padmini and her husband, Tutu, remain committed to their marriage and their son, Priyaank Sharma.

Lastly, Ranjeet, also known as Goli, secretly married Aaloka, his longtime girlfriend, after his previous marriage ended. The couple, who are now parents to Divyanka and Chiranjeev, exemplify how love marriages in secrecy can lead to a stable and happy life.