It was in 2012 when Esha Deol added 'Takhtani' to her name after she tied the knot with Bharat Takhtani in a low-key wedding ceremony at the ISKCON temple, Mumbai. Scroll down to know Esha Deol and Bharat Takhtani's love story and journey of togetherness.
Being the daughter of the veteran Bollywood actors and politicians, Dharmendra and Hema Malini, Esha Deol had followed the footsteps of her star parents, despite her father having an objection initially regarding her decision to make her name in the industry. Born in Mumbai, Esha Deol's religion is Hindu as she's Punjabi and Tamil from father's and mother's side respectively. While Esha's sister, Ahana Deol preferred to stay away from the showbiz and media glare, Esha had created a name for herself in the industry, facing a share of ups and downs. Making her debut in 2002 with the film, Koi Mere Dil Se Poochhe, Esha finally achieved the stardom she had desired with the YRF movie, Dhoom in 2004. Just like her star parents, Dharmendra and Hema Malini, Esha, who has close to 30 films in her kitty, is dearly loved by her fans and followers.
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Despite her interest in football and being a midfielder, captain of her school's football team and representing her college in handball at the state level, Esha Deol followed her dream of becoming an actor. Like her mother, Hema Malini, Esha and Ahana Deol are trained Odissi dancers and radiate similar poise, grace and ethereal charm. It was Esha's father, Dharmendra, who was against her decision to enter the world of showbiz. But eventually, he agreed and Esha became one of the sought-after actresses of Bollywood. Reportedly, Esha had once expressed her desire to marry a man as devastatingly handsome as her father, Dharmendra, and her wish sure got fulfilled when Bharat Takhtani proposed to her. Let's take a look at Esha Deol and Bharat Takhtani's love story, which has a few bumps and lots of beautiful moments.
Born in Mumbai to businessman, Vijay Takhtani and Pooja Takhtani, Bharat Takhtani had completed his early schooling from Learner's Academy, Bandra and graduated from H.R. College of Commerce and Economics. While Bharat had studied in a different school, he had met the love of his life, Esha during an inter-school competition. After completing his education, Bharat joined his father in his business and with his determination and hard work, he became a prominent name in the business world. Actress, Esha Deol's husband, Bharat Takhtani is a Diamond Merchant by profession, who runs a company called R.G. Bangle Pvt. Ltd.
Bharat Takhtani, who had studied in Learner's Academy, Bandra, lost his heart to Esha Deol, who completed her schooling from Jamnabai Narsee School, Juhu. Bharat, who was around 13 at that time, met Esha during inter-school art competitions and developed a huge crush on her. From "How dare you hold my hand?" to let him hold her hand forever, Esha and Bharat came a long way in their journey of love. In a 2013 interview with the Filmfare, Esha and Bharat had spoken about their love story and details of their married life. Revealing titbits about how he had fallen in love with Esha, Bharat had said:
"I studied in Learner's Academy in Bandra and she in Jamnabai Narsee School in Juhu. We often met at inter-school art competitions. I developed a huge crush on her. There was a certain freshness and cuteness about her. We began seeing each other."
Sharing her side of the story and calling it an immature and stupid age to be in a relationship, Esha Deol narrated an incident:
"But it was an immature, stupid age. Once when he wanted to hold my hand I snapped, "How dare you hold my hand?'"
Revealing that though his 'first love', Esha Deol stopped talking to him after this incident, he remained connected to her sister, Ahana Deol, Bharat Takhtani had continued:
"After that she stopped talking to me. Though I didn't keep in touch with her, I remained friends with Ahana. So somewhere the connection remained. I always nurtured a soft corner for Esha. After all, she was my first love."
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It was after 10 years of that incident when Esha Deol and Bharat Takhtani reconnected and began dating again. Fast forward to 10 years later, Bharat had reunited with Esha after she had made her debut in Bollywood. When Esha was vacationing in the US and visited Niagara Falls, reportedly, her sister, Ahana Deol had tipped off Bharat about the actress' whereabouts and it was their 'chance' meeting that reignited the long-lost spark between the lovebirds. Bharat and Esha reconnected but this time to never part ways ever again! A moment for which Bharat had waited for so long finally came. When a cautious Bharat had this time asked Esha if he can now hold her hand, she had not only allowed him to hold her hand but also never let go of her.
Now that Esha Deol was sure about her relationship with Bharat Takhtani, she decided to introduce him to her mother, Hema Malini. Revealing how being Librans worked for Hema Malini and Bharat, Esha had recalled:
"I called out to her and said, 'Mama, come up! I've something to show you'. Mom came up to my floor, casually playing with the dogs, unaware of what was in store. Then I introduced her to Bharat. Both being Librans, hit it off instantly!"
After introducing Bharat Takhtani to Hema Malini, the next step was to introduce him to her father, Dharmendra. Esha had left Dharmendra and Bharat alone for an hour. Talking about his first meeting with Dharmendra, Bharat had revealed:
"Dharamji's seen life. He listed a few things and asked whether I'd be able to fulfill those. I've turned more responsible after that meeting. I've already fulfilled half of the things from that list."
Speaking of how Bharat Takhtani is more like her mother, Hema Malini and she is more like her father, Dharmendra, Esha Deol had said:
"Like mom, Bharat is raring to go every morning with things well planned. Dad and I are laidback – 'karenge' types. Mom and Bharat keep me on my toes."
Esha Deol hails from a film family and Bharat Takhtani is from a conservative business family. In the Sindhi joint family of the Takhtanis, Esha was the first bahu in their seven cousins, just like her mother's character in Satte Pe Satta. But she had fit in the family so well that Bharat cannot stop praising her. Bharat had remarked:
"It seems impossible that someone from a film family and I who am from a conservative business family would ever come together. She's the first bahu in our joint family of seven cousins. She takes care of my mother, her moods, she's gelled so well. Actually, Esha's always been gharelu though she liked to believe she was the boy of the house. She's caring and responsible. She's aware of what keeps me happy. I'm a foodie, I live to eat. And she sees to it that my favourite dishes are prepared at home. In fact, for someone who didn't know how to make chai, just the other day, she cooked Khow Suey."
Being an actress, what made her fall in love and commit to a person outside the industry? Esha Deol had revealed:
"I realised that he's someone who'll be mine and remain loyal. I've always been a protected child but now I feel even more protected. I don't feel like a lost soul anymore. There's more purpose to life, something to look forward to. There's a companion to hold my hand, haath pakdne wala koi hai. Bharat's outgoing yet traditional. In a way, he's like Papa; he knows how to keep his family together. If he can love and care for them, he won’t let me down either. Also, he's comfortable with my celebrity status. He doesn't view me as Esha Deol, he knows me as Esha, his friend."
To which, Bharat Takhtani added:
"I've not married her for the brand name."
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Soon after their parents met, Bharat Takhtani and Esha Deol had decided to get engaged in an intimate ceremony on February 12, 2012, at her mother, Hema Malini's home. Bharat had never proposed Esha officially for marriage and Esha had always dreamt of Bharat going down on his knees and asking for her hand. The dream come true moment came on their engagement when Bharat went down on his knees in front of her father, Dharmendra and half-brothers, Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol, and slipped the ring on her finger. Reminiscing the moment, Esha had said:
"When we were getting engaged, I told him, 'Baby, you'll have to go down on your knees and then slip the ring on my finger. Bharat asked, 'Really?' and went down in the presence of papa, Sunny bhaiya and Bobby bhaiya, right there. From the industry, only Jaya (Bachchan) aunty was present. She's like a mother to me."
For the intimate engagement ceremony, Esha Deol had opted for a pink embellished saree paired with a contrasting green blouse. Bharat Takhtani had complemented her in a white shirt and a beige-coloured blazer.
After a few years of courtship, Esha Deol and Bharat Takhtani had decided to take their relationship to the next level. It was on June 29, 2012, when Esha added Takhtani to her name and exchanged wedding vows with Bharat in a low-key ceremony at the ISKCON temple in Mumbai. Esha and Bharat's wedding was a grand affair with who's who of Bollywood present at their wedding ceremonies. Esha and Bharat's four-day wedding affair began with a sangeet ceremony followed by mehendi function, traditional Tamilian marriage and finally, a star-studded reception.
A video of Esha Deol's vidaai emerged on social media a few months ago and it had given a glimpse of the emotional bride and an inconsolable Deol family. Speaking about his jaan, Esha, ahead of her vidaai, the doting father, Dharmendra had said:
"Esha meri jaan hai, meri bahaut pyaari beti hai. Betiyan badi hoti hai to unke liye fikr badhti hai ki achha ladka dhundha jaaye toh humein accha ladka mil gaya. Ab shaadi ho gayi hai ab vidai ho jayegi toh lagta hai ki paal pos ke bada karte hai fir ek din paraye ghar chali jaati hai."
For the wedding, Esha Deol became the prettiest Tamilian bride in red as she opted for a bright Kanjeevaram saree accentuated with a matching dupatta on her head, heavy gold jewellery and a kamarbandh. Bharat Takhtani had complemented his bride in a white sherwani with sequinned work on it which he carried with a matching dupatta and a maroon safa. After the wedding, Esha and Bharat had jetted off to Europe for their honeymoon.
Esha Deol Takhtani had remarried her husband, Bharat Takhtani in 2017 when she was pregnant with their first child. To mark her baby shower ceremony in 2017, Esha and Bharat had renewed their wedding vows and remarried at the ISKCON Temple in Mumbai. According to Sindhi tradition, the godh bharai ceremony had included Esha and Bharat tying the knot again but instead of the ritual of seven pheras, they had taken just three. For Esha's remarriage and baby shower look, her wedding outfit designer, Neeta Lulla had created a Vrindavan-inspired asymmetrical anarkali.
Back when Esha Deol Takhtani was pregnant with her first child and she was prepping up for her re-marriage with Bharat Takhtani, she was asked what she recalls of the rituals from five years ago. In an interview with the Pune Mirror, Esha had said that being half South Indian, she had always wanted a South Indian wedding because of its kanyadaan ritual. She had said:
"As a bride, I sat on my dad's lap and after the kanyadaan, I moved to Bharat's lap. So, the two most important men in my life were part of the ritual. It was rather emotional."
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It was in 2017, five years after their wedding when Esha Deol Takhtani and Bharat Takhtani had embraced parenthood for the first time as the stork had visited them with their little angel, Radhya Takhtani. Almost two years later, in 2019, Esha and Bharat had welcomed their second angel, Miraya Takhtani and with both their girls, they are living their parenthood phase to the fullest. Post embracing motherhood, Esha's life has been revolving around Radhya and Miraya, but she makes sure to fulfil her professional commitments too. Esha aces the role of a working mother to her little girls and is a perfect role model to them.
A day after giving birth to her little angel, Miraya Takhtani, Esha Deol Takhtani was contacted by the Mumbai Mirror and the second-time newbie mommy had excitedly talked about her two daughters. Revealing how her second daughter, Miraya's name is connected to their firstborn, Radhya's name, Esha had stated:
"When Lord Krishna worships Radha, it's called Radhya, while Miraya means a devotee of Lord Krishna. Both the girls have that in common and I love how Radhya and Miraya sound together."
In an interview with the Hindustan Times, Esha Deol Takhtani had expressed how it is to be a working mother and how she tries to manage her kids and work. She had stated:
"I am not the kind of person who will sit and do nothing. I now do my work meetings at home as my daughters are my responsibility and I want to spend time with them. Radhya really enjoys being on sets."
Revealing that they make sure that either she or her husband, Bharat Takhtani is at home when the other is travelling for work, Esha Deol Takhtani had continued:
"We like our kids to wake up to either of us, if not both."
While Esha Deol Takhtani is a well-acclaimed name in the entertainment industry, Bharat Takhtani is a prominent name in the business world. With an earning of 4-5 million, Bharat Takhtani's net worth is estimated to be Rs 136 crores or 20 million dollars, as reported by thepersonage.com. With her primary source of income from movies and advertisements, Esha Deol's net worth is Rs 2 crores, as reported by thepersonage.com.
Though we miss watching Esha Deol Takhtani on-screen, we love seeing her fulfilling her mommy duties and acing the role of a mother. Esha is not only perfectly managing her professional commitments and family life but has also ventured into writing and had published her debut book, Amma Mia as an author.
Bharat Takhtani loved only 'one' girl in his life and with destiny in his favour, he married that 'one', Esha Deol. Bharat never lost hope in love and waited years for her to say 'yes'. Today, Esha and Bharat are happily married with two adorable little daughters, Radhya Takhtani and Miraya Takhtani. That was their filmy and romantic love story! We wish them all the happiness and love in this world!
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