She is one of Bollywood’s most well-known divas, who has marked her place as a popular international face after winning the reality show, Big Brother 5. While her thumkas can do hulchal in millions of hearts, her bindaas smile makes her fans’ hearts flutter. On the other hand, he is a rich London-based businessman. Yes, we are talking about none other than Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra.
Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra’s journey is nothing less than a Bollywood film, filled with controversies and speculations. Despite all the connotations, Shilpa and Raj are married for 11 years, business partners and also the proud parents to their kids, Viaan Raj Kundra and Samisha Shetty Kundra. Here we bring to you the love story of Raj Kundra and Shilpa Shetty Kundra, which is totally filmy.
Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra had started off as business acquaintances and that had started their perfect fairytale. The two had initially met for a business meeting where Raj was helping her out for the promotion of her perfume brand, S2. When tabloids were busy speculating a spark between the two, Raj had denied it all by saying, “We are just friends. I have a business relationship with Shilpa regarding her perfume.”
In Pinkvilla’s talk show, No More Secrets, Shilpa had talked about her first meeting with Raj Kundra, and had said, "I met Raj in London through a common friend to discuss a business deal. I was swoon by his smile, charm, and persona."
After meeting Raj, Shilpa had discussed him with her friend and was disappointed as her friend had told her about his marriage. Shilpa had said, "After he left, I asked my friend about him. He told me that he is already married and I was left disheartened. But, at that time, we did not know that Raj is going through a divorce. Four months later, Raj had once offered me to stay at his batch pad, since I was travelling to London frequently. I was surprised to know about his bachelor pad, and later he revealed that he is going through a divorce."
In an interview with the Filmfare Magazine, Raj had shared how he had felt after meeting Shilpa for the first time. He had said, “It was love at first sight. From the moment I saw her, I knew I’d love her to be my life partner. She’s got an angelic side to her. Her homely side grew on me as I got to know her. She’s a great housewife. She’s a supermom! She’s the wind beneath my wings and I try to be her support system. We are each other’s strengths.”
As the time had passed, Shilpa and Raj were seen spending more time together. In an interview with Daily Mail in 2007, Shilpa had candidly admitted, "I am dating somebody. I hope he will be the one, but I don't want to say too much because it is still very early on in our relationship. He respects and understands what I do, and it is nice to be cared for. I have been very lonely for a very long time, and it is nice to know I have somebody to look forward to seeing at the end of the day.”
Well, it was a clear sign for almost everyone then, that the man in question was none other than Raj Kundra. Shilpa came as a guest on Indian Idol 12 and had revealed that she was secretly dating Raj Kundra during the shoot of her film, Life In A Metro (2007) and why the song, In Dino from the film, is special for the couple. Shilpa Shetty Kundra had said:
“I was shooting for Metro and during that time also went to the UK for Big Brother shoot. I was sure that BB would not last long, but one week turned into three weeks and three months and eventually I stayed there for five-six months. Metro shoot was stalled but Anurag was generous and said that whenever you get time come back and I will shoot your portions in the film first. At the same time, I met Raj and he liked In Dino song very much. I made it my ringer tone as well. Whenever this song plays, a smile comes on my face.”
Well, Raj Kundra had done everything to impress Shilpa and had given her some oh-so-expensive gifts. In the conversation with Pinkvilla, Shilpa had recalled how she had fallen in love with Raj and how he had tried to impress her with expensive gifts. She had said, "He was trying to woo me with Versace bags. In fact, he sent me three bags of the same style in three different colors, and I was astonished. He was constantly throwing hints at me. But, I asked him to give it a full stop as I want to spoil the friendship and bond we shared. Moreover, I was never going to shift to London, though I was dying to get married at that time (laughs)."
Raj had also bought space in Mumbai to be with Shilpa. She had recalled, "Later, we decided to talk our hearts out to each other and come to a conclusion. The next morning, after our meeting, he called me and asked if I had seen Jalsa (Amitabh Bachchan’s Mumbai home), to which I agreed. Raj then said that he had bought a floor opposite Jalsa, leaving me all astonished. I was wondering why a London-based rich businessman would buy a flat in Mumbai. The next day, he asked me to accompany him to see the property."
Shilpa had also shared what had made her believe in Raj’s decision and love. The actress had further added, "The building, where Raj bought the flat was not even constructed completely. It only had the 2nd floor, when we went to see it. But, he enthusiastically said, 'I've bought the 7th floor.' He then told me whether he works from here, or functions out of London doesn't really matter. It is then when he made it clear that he had decided."
Shilpa and Raj’s love story was all about larger-than-life things. Raj had proposed to Shilpa in the most endearing manner at IIFA in Yorkshire. In 2019, Shilpa Shetty had appeared on Romedy Now's The Love Laugh Live Show and had recalled her first reaction when her then-beau, Raj Kundra had proposed to her with ‘just 5-carat’ ring. Revealing how Raj had planned the proposal, Shilpa was quoted as saying:
"He'd booked out the whole banqueting hall at The Grand. A bit OTT... he had like these violinists playing... He conned me into it, He said we are having lunch at a friend's place so dress up well. Not casually, just dress up well and my sister told me to wear red, so it was already planned. He told me from Mumbai we are going to this really cool place. I had no clue, but he had already asked my parents. So, the setting was all there and the cloche opened, and he did propose in the last course, dessert and it was this diamond ring."
While Raj Kundra’s proposal was all romantic, Shilpa Shetty’s reaction was hilarious. Shilpa had taken a while to say ‘yes’ because the ring, which was a 5-carat diamond, wasn't what she had imagined it to be. Shilpa had laughingly narrated the incident and had said:
"It was a 5-carat diamond ring and I might sound really materialistic here, but I was like it's just 5 carats. So, I took a while to say yes because I was like 'This is not what I imagined'. No no, I was just joking... So, he was like, because I took 2 seconds more, he was like, 'The wedding ring will be bigger', that's Raj for you. So, I said yes there.”
Yes, Raj Kundra was married, even before he had met Shilpa Shetty. Raj Kundra was earlier married to Kavita Kundra, who is the daughter of an Indian-British businessman. The duo had tied the knot in 2003 after dating each other for a few years and has a daughter together named Delina. In 2005, Raj and Kavita had started facing troubles in their married life and the duo had divorced in 2006, when their daughter, Delina was 2 months old.
Raj's marital status had proved to be an ugly twist in Shilpa and Raj's otherwise beautiful love story. Raj Kundra’s ex-wife, Kavita Kundra had reportedly accused Shilpa of being a marriage breaker. She had said that it was because of Shilpa that Raj had left her and their newborn daughter. In a conversation with The Mail, Kavita was quoted as saying:
“Shilpa is a cultural icon in the Indian community, but she’s not what she appears. She can have any man she wants- there are plenty of single men. She didn’t need to go after my husband. While I was trying to put our marriage back together, he was talking constantly about Shilpa, as if it didn't matter what happened to us because he had found someone better, cleverer and more famous than me. Now he has begun pestering me for a divorce.I asked him if he planned to marry someone else but he avoided the question."
Shilpa was very disturbed by these comments, but she cleared her name and reputation by issuing a statement that read:
"My understanding is that Raj and Kavita’s marriage was over a year ago and they have filed for divorce and have been living separately for over a year. I met Raj Kundra three months ago in a business capacity, so where the question of me breaking up her marriage arises, this is impossible as I have known him for 12 weeks. I am disgusted by her reported comments and completely refute the allegation. My culture and upbringing does not permit me to break marriages and I am the least interested in knowing or hearing any more about her.”
Even Raj had shared a similar viewpoint on the matter. According to ANI’s report, Raj had said, “My marriage ended 12 months ago and it was nothing to do with Shilpa.”
After all the drama surrounding Raj Kundra’s ex-wife, and other speculations and controversies such as Shilpa getting pregnant before marriage, the much-in-love couple, Shilpa and Raj had finally decided to tie the knot. Shilpa had shared her feelings with The Daily Mail before taking the big plunge and had said, "I've always said that the day I decide to tie the knot it is going to be for good. I have often wondered who the right person would be and I've come to realise that for me it is Raj. I'm completely sure he is my soulmate."
Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra had tied the knot on November 22, 2009. Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra were 34 when the couple had decided to get married and the age difference between them is of 3 months only. It was a grand ‘Big Fat Indian Wedding’ in a true sense. The wedding and pre-wedding bash had taken place at Shilpa’s close friend’s farmhouse in Khandala. The couple had their engagement almost a month before their wedding at Raj's Juhu bungalow.
On the wedding day, Shilpa was seen wearing a heavily embroidered traditional red saree, designed by Tarun Tahiliani. On the other hand, Raj had worn a golden and maroon-coloured sherwani. The wedding had taken place according to the Mangalorean traditions. The guest list for the wedding ceremony was restricted to family members only.
Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra’s reception had taken place on November 24, 2009, at the Grand Hyatt Mumbai, and the who’s who of the B-town had marked their presence. At the reception, Shilpa had looked amazingly stunning in a golden contemporary gown-styled saree, designed by Tarun Tahiliani. Raj was seen sporting a black sherwani by Shantanu and Nikhil.
In an interview with the Bombay Times, Shilpa had recalled how Raj had given her ultimatum to either get married or quit their relationship. Sharing how she always wanted to get married, Shilpa had said:
“I had been working since I was 17 and I got married at 32. I was ready for marriage. I wanted to have a baby, which is one of the key reasons to get married. I was eager to accept a new role in my life — that of a wife, a mother, and so on. I’m very middle-class in the way I function and think. I don’t regret the fact that I married at a time when I was doing really well in my career.”
Shilpa had further shared how along with being a wife, she wanted to have an identity of her own and that is when Raj had given her the ultimatum. She had added,
“Being a wife is a great role to play in life and I do that to the T, par mujhe apni pehchaan bhi chahiye thi. I didn’t want to be dependent on another person in any manner. I am a feminist in that sense, I want my space to make my choices. I remember I was shooting for a film called The Man with Sunny Deol. His dates were constantly getting shuffled. Raj (husband) gave me an ultimatum to get married or quit the relationship. I had to choose between The Man and my man. I chose the latter. And guess what? Sunny eventually shelved the movie.”
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After Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra’s grand wedding festivities were over, the couple had flown to the beautiful Bahamas to spend some time together. The resort that Raj Kundra had booked for their coveted vacation is known all over the world for its captivating casino, cryptic underwater ruins, mesmerising marine habitat and breathtaking waterfalls and lagoons. According to Bollywood Mantra, Shilpa’s close friend had revealed a little detail about their honeymoon plans and had said:
"Raj plans fantastic vacations and this is one holiday he wants Shilpa to remember forever. Though Shilpa knows Raj has booked the Regal Suite for them at the Atlantis Resort in the Paradise Islands at the Bahamas, everything else is a surprise for Shilpa. Raj is arranging everything. He spent lot of time, planning and money on finding the perfect honeymoon spot for Shilpa."
Shilpa Shetty Kundra and Raj Kundra had gotten blessed with their first child, whom they have named, Viaan Raj Kundra on May 21, 2012. After suffering a few miscarriages, Shilpa and Raj had opted for surrogacy to welcome a baby girl into their lives. The couple was blessed with a daughter on February 15, 2020, whom they have named Samisha Shetty Kundra into their life, completing their family frame.
It was on May 21, 2012, that Shilpa Shetty Kundra had given birth to a baby boy at Hinduja Healthcare Surgical Hospital in Mumbai. It was Shilpa’s husband, Raj Kundra, who had announced the news of their son’s birth on Twitter and had written, "God has blessed us with a beautiful baby boy. Both mother and baby are fine. I am thrilled to bits."
Initially, Shilpa and Raj’s son was called ‘Baby K’, after his surname Kundra. Later, after his naamkaran ceremony, Shilpa Shetty Kundra had announced their son’s name to be Viaan, which means full of life and energy on Twitter. Shilpa had written, "Hey tweetos, Yes its official, Did the naming ceremony today, our son is christened VIAAN RAJ KUNDRA:)it means Full of life/energy."
Shilpa and Raj had to wait for almost eight years to welcome another child into their lives and the child has now become the brightest star of their world. It was on February 21, 2020, when Shilpa had surprised her fans with the announcement of adding a baby girl into their family. She had taken to her Instagram handle and had posted a glimpse of her baby's little hand and had written:
"Om Shri Ganeshaya Namah! Our prayers have been answered with a miracle. With gratitude in our hearts, we are thrilled to announce the arrival of our little Angel, Samisha Shetty Kundra. Born: February 15, 2020. Junior SSK in the house! ‘Sa’ in Sanskrit is “to have”, and ‘Misha’ in Russian stands for “someone like God”. You personify this name - our Goddess Laxmi, and complete our family. Please bestow our angel with all your love and blessings Ecstatic parents: Raj and Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Overjoyed brother: Viaan Raj Kundra."
Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra’s house is located on the seaside in Juhu, next to Hare Rama Hare Krishna Temple. Their lavish bungalow is called Kinara and Shilpa has decorated it herself with things that she has picked from across the globe. Their house is built keeping Feng Shui and Vastu Shastra in mind with a modern yet classic appeal to it. From a gym to a bar, a temple to a lawn, Shilpa and Raj’s house has everything that one can think of in a house. While their son, Viaan has a jungle safari themed room, their daughter, Samisha has a white nursery.
Other than their house in Mumbai, according to Deccan Chronicle, Shilpa Shetty Kundra and Raj Kundra own a property in Mayfair Oxford Street in London and visit their house almost every year for a holiday. According to Vogue, Shilpa and Raj also own a luxurious seven-bedroom property called Raj Mahal in Surrey, Canada.
Well, Shilpa Shetty is just so lucky to have a husband like Raj Kundra, who loves to shower her with gifts or rather we should say some expensive gifts. From rings to houses to cars, Raj has showered Shilpa with everything in his power.
On their engagement, Raj Kundra had gifted Shilpa a 20-carat heart-shaped natural white diamond ring worth Rs 3 crores. He had also ensured that Shilpa wears the best wedding lehenga and had gotten her the lehenga worth Rs 50 lakh.
On one of their wedding anniversaries, Raj had gifted Shilpa an apartment on the 19th floor of the tallest building in the world- The Burj Khalifa, Dubai. However, Shilpa had sold off the property in 2016 as it was too small for the family. In an interview with Emirates 24/7, Shilpa had said:
"We sold it around three months ago, only to buy a bigger place. We got rid of it because it was too small for us. We just had a small apartment here, and we realised that with Vivaan (her son), we come with an entourage. And, there is no place for the entourage! And, none of the windows can be opened."
Other than an apartment in Burj Khalifa, Raj had bought a lavish seven-bedroom villa for his wife, Shilpa Shetty Kundra in Surrey, UK and it is called ‘Raj Mahal.’ The couple often flies to the UK for holidays and perhaps this is the reason why Raj bought a house there.
Raj Kundra had gifted Shilpa Shetty a luxurious flat in 2012, which is spread over 3000 sq. ft. in a building called ‘Supernova’ in Noida. It is the tallest building in India with 80 storeys.
It is said that Shilpa Shetty always wanted to live in a sea-facing villa in Mumbai and her husband, Raj Kundra fulfilled her wish by buying her one. The family resides in the same bungalow now and it is called ‘Kinara.’
Raj Kundra has gifted many luxury cars to Shilpa Shetty like BMW Z4, but it was her blue Lamborghini that had become the talk of the town. Shilpa had the car at her home even before it was launched in India.
Shilpa Shetty Kundra has been a part of many movies, reality shows, and brand endorsements. She is also a social media influencer, has a clothing brand named DreamSS and is a partner of the restaurant, Bastian. Her net worth is estimated to be around Rs 134 crores. It is said that her yearly income is around 10-12 crores. On the other hand, her husband, Raj Kundra’s net worth is estimated to be around $550 million which translates to around Rs 4,017 crores. Raj Kundra has many businesses in his name. He is the CEO of J L Stream PVT Ltd, which covers social media live streaming platforms. In 2014, Raj Kundra had started Viaan Industries and in 2012, he had started Super Fight League, which is India’s first professional mixed martial arts fight in the league. Shilpa and Raj were also the co-owner of the IPL team, Rajasthan Royals till 2013.
Kundra was arrested by the Mumbai Police and charged under various sections of Indian Penal Code, the IT Act and the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, for allegedly making pornographic content and distributing them through porn apps like HotShots. Reports are rife that Shilpa Shetty Kundra is reportedly all set to separate from her husband, Raj Kundra, and is prepared to take her kids, Viaan and Samisha, with her, as together they are ready to move out of his mansion.
