Paresh Rawal's love and commitment to his wife, Swaroop Sampat, made him wait 12 years to marry her.
One of the poignant faces of Hindi cinema, Paresh Rawal is one of the most versatile actors and comedians. He gained popularity for his comic timing in films like Andaz Apna Apna, Chachi 420, Hera Pheri, Awara Paagal Deewana, Hungama, Garam Masala, Ready, OMG, and many more. Born in Mumbai to a Gujarati family, Paresh always wanted to become an actor.
Paresh’s love for art and theatre led to his meeting with his wife, Swaroop Sampat. Paresh Rawal got married to Swaroop Sampat, former Miss India (1979). The duo had dated each other for twelve years and tied the knot in 1987. Paresh and Swaroop have two sons, Aditya Rawal and Aniruddh Rawal. From dating for twelve years to staying committed to one another, Paresh and Sampat’s love story is nothing less than a dream sequence.
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Just like his comedy films, Paresh’s proposal story is quite hilarious. In an interview with Bollywood Bubble, the versatile actor revealed that it was love at first sight for him, and just in one meeting, he decided that he would get married to Swaroop. Swaroop had just finished school and was interested in theatre. She was handing out brochures at an Indian National Theatre festival, where her father was the chief producer.
At the same event, Paresh and his college friends were performing their play. It was at that moment that Paresh told his friend that he was going to marry her. The veteran actor revealed that his close friend, Mahendra Joshi, had informed him that Swaroop was his boss' daughter, but he was so in love with her that he wanted to try everything until the end.
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Even after knowing that Swaroop was his boss’ daughter, Paresh tried his luck. The Hera Pheri actor recalled giving a filmy answer to his friend, and luckily, every word of his turned true. In his words:
“I was kind of 'Yeh ladki meri wife banegi'. My friend Mahendra Joshi was with me. He told me, 'Tujhe pata hai tu jis company mein kaam kar raha hai us boss ki beti hai woh'. Toh maine bola, 'Kisi ki bhi beti ho, behen ho, ma ho, main iske saath shaadi karunga'.”
Paresh Rawal and Swaroop Sampat were ardent lovers of theatre and acting. Therefore, destiny conspired them to meet one another at the stage performance itself. Though Swaroop was mesmerised by Paresh’s acting prowess, he was smitten by her beauty. After dating for some months, Paresh proposed to Swaroop. Recalling his hilarious proposal, he said:
“After 2-3 months, I told her, 'I want to marry you but don't tell me 'let's get to know each other, let's grow together'. Marte dum tak koi kisiko nahi jaan sakta. Toh mere saath woh futile exercise mat karo. Commit yourself. But we got married after 12 years."
Paresh proposed to Swaroop in 1975, but the two got married in 1987, exactly 12 years later. The reason behind the delay was that he wanted to settle his career before getting married to her. Swaroop, too, was very clear that she would not elope with Paresh as she was the only daughter born in her family after years.
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In an interview with The Free Press Journal, Swaroop revealed that Paresh was clear about getting married to her since the beginning. And since both were Gujaratis, there was no opposition from both families. After Paresh’s career took off, the duo got married in an intimate ceremony.
From their first meeting to their marriage and beyond, Paresh Rawal and Swaroop Sampat’s love for each other has endured the tribulations of time. Their companionship has reinstated our faith in love and marriage.
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