Juhi Chawla Opens Up About Keeping Her Marriage a Secret and Fears of Losing Her Career

Veteran Bollywood actor Juhi Chawla, who tied the knot with businessman Jay Mehta in the mid-1990s, recently reflected on the emotional turmoil she experienced during that phase of her life. In a candid interview with journalist Rajeev Masand, Juhi shared insights into why she and Jay kept their wedding under wraps, the fear of career repercussions, and how her mother-in-law’s support helped her navigate a difficult period.

The actor, known for her vibrant screen presence in the 1990s, revealed that although she was in love, she wasn't initially thrilled about getting married. The thought of sacrificing her flourishing career was a major concern.

“Everyone did it those days. You didn’t have the internet and you didn’t have cameras on every phone, so you could do it that way. Also, I was just about established, and just (starting to do) well. And that’s when Jay was serenading me. I was afraid of losing my career, just when I’d got there. I wanted to carry on, and this seemed the midway. Then my mum passed away, and I felt like I was going to lose everything I had,” Juhi recalled.

She also opened up about her early interactions with Jay Mehta. The two had first met before Juhi entered the film industry but lost touch over time. Fate brought them back together at a mutual friend’s dinner party, and that marked the beginning of their relationship.

“We met when I was younger, before I had even started out in the industry. But that was briefly, and with friends. He had another set of friends, but south Mumbai is small. But then, I lost touch (with him) because I started working, and I was in Andheri, doing my thing. It was at a friend’s dinner in town that I saw him, and then we got talking again. From then on, everywhere I turned, he turned up. Everywhere I looked, he was there with flowers and notes. Every day. On my birthday, I remember, there was a truckload of red roses. What can you do with a truckload of flowers? But there it was. After a year, he proposed,” she said.

Juhi also recounted the personal grief she experienced after losing her mother, which compounded her fears about the future. Her mother-in-law’s understanding and encouragement, however, proved to be a turning point.

“When a door closes, a window opens. It was Jay, his parents, and his mom especially. There were times when I was really down and out, and she always said to me, ‘You’re like my daughter, don’t think of yourself as my daughter-in-law, do what makes you happy’. She allowed me to go out and work. I’d just got my bearings in (the industry) and everything was falling apart,” Juhi shared.

At a previous event hosted by the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Juhi had revealed how her wedding plans were scaled down significantly at her own request.

“I was shooting for some of the really big films of my career and I was supposed to get married. My mother had just passed a year ago. When the marriage date was coming close, I was thinking my mother is gone, whom I loved the most, and now my career will also go away. I didn’t know how to be happy about it. So, I broke down one day and I told my mother-in-law and she said, ‘It’s okay.’ She convinced the family to not have the big wedding and I got married at home with just the family and closest friends in attendance. So with just 80-90 people present. Imagine your mother-in-law cancelling the invites that had already been sent out,” she had said.

Despite the initial apprehensions, Juhi Chawla successfully balanced her personal and professional life, becoming one of the most beloved faces of Indian cinema. Her story reflects the challenges many women face while trying to pursue their passions in the face of societal expectations.