Actress Juhi Chawla, who made her Bollywood debut with Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988), married businessman Jay Mehta in 1995. This was Jay Mehta’s second marriage; his first wife, Sujata Birla, tragically died in a plane crash in 1990. Sujata Birla was the sister of industrialist Yash Birla. Initially, Juhi Chawla kept her marriage under wraps. In an interview with Rajeev Masand, she shared how Jay Mehta courted her and how her mother-in-law supported her during challenging times.
When asked why she chose to keep the marriage a secret, the Ishq (1997) actress explained, “Everyone did that back then. There was no internet, and not every phone had a camera, so it was easier. At the time, I was establishing myself in the industry and working on some good films. When I agreed to marry Jay, I was terrified that it would spell the end of my career. Around the same time, my mother passed away, and I felt as though I was losing everything I had.”
Juhi Chawla revealed that her relationship with Jay Mehta began before she entered the film industry, though they lost touch once her acting career took off. While living in Andheri, Mumbai, she remained focused on her work until she ran into Jay Mehta again at a friend’s dinner party. They reconnected, and he began sending her flowers and letters, once even sending a truckload of roses on her birthday. After a year of courtship, he proposed, and Juhi Chawla accepted his love after another year.
She shared that her mother had passed away before their marriage, leaving her utterly devastated. She had made the decision to step away from her career after tying the knot. According to Juhi Chawla, “They say, when one door closes, another window opens. My husband Jay, my in-laws, especially my mother-in-law, took such good care of me. There was a period when I was miserable throughout the day. My mother-in-law always said to me, ‘I consider you my daughter, not my daughter-in-law. Do whatever makes you happy.’ She gave me the freedom to continue working.”
In an interview with Doordarshan Sahyadri, Juhi Chawla mentioned that the wedding was initially planned as a grand celebration at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse, with a guest list of around a thousand people. However, the plans were cancelled following her mother’s passing. Juhi Chawla was in deep shock and feared that her career would come to an end, as was often the case with married actresses in Bollywood. Her mother-in-law’s support proved invaluable during this period, she cancelled all the wedding arrangements and respected Juhi Chawla’s wishes. Though invitations had already been sent out across the globe due to Jay Mehta’s business network, her mother-in-law insisted that Juhi Chawla should not be pressured into a lavish wedding, offering her reassurance and emotional support.
Juhi Chawla also spoke about the heartbreaking loss of her younger brother, who remained in a coma for several days after suffering a brain haemorrhage. She spent countless hours at the hospital, struggling to grasp the doctors’ explanations or the medical procedures being carried out, while he remained on a ventilator until his passing. The experience left a deep emotional scar, and she expressed a heartfelt wish that no one else should have to endure such a loss.
