Who is Vijay Mallya's childhood crush and second wife, Rekha Mallya? Read on to learn about their love story.
Vijay Mallya was once hailed as the ‘King of Good Times,’ and he indeed proved to be synonymous with his extravagant life. The business tycoon’s life turned topsy-turvy because of his involvement in the infamous IDBI bank loan default case worth Rs. 900 crore and tons of other frauds. In addition, Vijay Mallya was also linked to the Panama Papers and Paradise Papers.
Vijay Mallya’s personal life has also garnered a lot of attention. The business tycoon is married thrice and has three children. He first tied the knot with a former air hostess, Sameera Tyabji. Within a year, they got divorced, and later, he went on to marry his second wife, Rekha, but that, too, didn’t work. Vijay got married to Pinky Lalwani for the third time.
Also Read: Meet Vijay Mallya's First Wife, Sameera Tyabjee, Former Air Hostess Fell In Love With Him On A Plane
Though Vijay Mallya has married thrice, very few people know that his second marriage was with his childhood crush. Yes, you read that right. Rekha was Vijay’s childhood friend, and he was very fond of her. Let us know details about their story.
After Vijay Mallya’s separation from Sameera Tyabji, he crossed paths with Rekha, his childhood crush. Vijay and Rekha had been in a relationship since school, but as Vijay’s father was against their alliance, they broke up. Rekha was previously married to a coffee planter, Pratap Chettiappa, with whom she had a daughter, Stella. But soon, Rekha and Pratap got divorced. Rekha later went on to marry Shahid Mahmood. After her marriage to Shahid, she gave birth to two kids, Laila and Kabir.
Recommended Read: Meet Siddharth Mallya's Fiancee, Jasmine: A Humanitarian, Civil Rights Advocate, Traveller And More
However, Rekha’s marriage to Shahid Mahmood also did not last long, and the two ended up in divorce. In 1993, Vijay learnt about Rekha’s divorce, and without wasting any time, he proposed to her, and she said yes.
After Rekha and Shahid Mahmod’s divorce, he got custody of their son, Kabir. On the other hand, Rekha, along with her daughter, Laila, shifted to Vijay’s house. The business tycoon later adopted Rekha’s daughter, Laila and gave his surname to her and Laila became Laila Mallya. Later, Vijay and Rekha welcomed two daughters and named them Leanna and Tanya.
Also Read: Who Is Asin's Husband, Rahul Sharma? Billionaire Who Founded Micromax And Has Rs. 1300 Cr Net Worth
Laila Mallya is a Vogue stylist and jewellery designer. Her jewellery line is called Social Butterfly. She outsources her products to a lifestyle store called Kahava in Bangalore. She also has a keen interest in fashion and has often appeared in many shows during fashion weeks. In 2011, Laila Mallya married Samar Singh, an investment banker.
Not just this, Laila Mallya was also a fugitive businessman, Lalit Modi’s assistant. When Lalit Modi’s IPL scam came into the limelight, Laila Mallya’s name cropped up multiple times. In a statement, Laila’s foster father, Vijay Mallya, said:
“My step daughter Laila Mahmood works for Lalit Modi. I know nothing about this. I called Lalit Modi and he confirmed that she has given a statement to Income Tax.”
It is not certain whether Vijay and Rekha have separated as nothing related to the same is available on the internet.
Recommended Read: Meet Raveena Tandon's Husband, Anil Thadani, Backed Films Like DDLJ, Baahubali, Kantara, And Pushpa