Remember Gayatri Joshi, Shah Rukh's co-star in Swades? She quit Bollywood, married one of India's richest men, is now...

Gayatri Joshi earned praise for her debut in Swades, opposite Shah Rukh Khan. But she vanished from Bollywood immediately after the film's release.

Published on: Oct 19, 2024, 16:41:47 IST

By Abhimanyu Mathur

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The 2004 Ashutosh Gowariker film Swades is widely regarded as one of Shah Rukh Khan's finest. The actor shed his superstar image and went totally man-next-door for a critically acclaimed performance. Matching him in terms of performance was the film's debutant female lead, Gayatri Joshi. The model-turned-actor earned praise for her measured performance, but despite that, Swades was to be her only film. (Also read: Shilpa Shetty, Sonali Bendre, Raveena party at Gayatri Joshi’s stunning new home)

Gayatri Joshi made her debut opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Swades

Why did Gayatri Joshi leave Bollywood?

Gayatri made her Bollywood debut with Swades after years of success as a model. While the film did not work at the box office, the actor was praised. Given that she had debuted opposite Shah Rukh Khan at his peak, this should have opened more doors for her in the film industry. But Gayatri chose not to do that. Barely weeks after the film's release, Gayatri tied the knot with businessman Vikas Oberoi and bid adieu to her acting career. Thus, Swades became her only film.

Who is Vikas Oberoi?

Vikas Oberoi, Gayatri Joshi's husband, is a businessman who controls and runs Oberoi Construction, one of the leading realty firms in India. Oberoi has been called one of the richest men in India by Grohe-Hurun. According to Forbes, he has a net worth of $6 billion ( ₹50,000 crore). He owns a Westin hotel in suburban Mumbai and is building the city's first Ritz-Carlton hotel and residences. Forbes clarified that Vikas is not related to the family behind the Oberoi hotel chain.

After her marriage to Vikas Oberoi, Gayatri Joshi left behind the world of entertainment. The couple currently live in Mumbai. They have two sons. Gayatri has maintained some of her friendships from her modelling and acting days, however. She often hangs out with actor Sonali Bendre and Hrithik Roshan's ex-wife Sussanne Khan, both of whom she has known for over two decades.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Abhimanyu Mathur
Abhimanyu Mathur is Deputy Editor, Entertainment at Hindustan Times. With almost 15 years of experience in writing about everything from films and TV shows to cricket matches and elections, he inhales and exhales pop culture and news. Currently, he watches movies and TV shows and talks to celebrities for a living, while occasionally writing about them as well. A journalism graduate of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Delhi University, Abhimanyu began his career with Hindustan Times at the age of 20, swapping classrooms for newsrooms at an early age. He began his journey in the early days of digital journalism, later switching to the madness of print journalism. Work has led him to far off places like Japan and Jordan, as well as to the interiors of Haryana and the Indo-Pak border. He dabbled in city reporting in places like Meerut, Gurgaon, and Delhi, covered the Olympics and Cricket World Cups, before finding his calling in entertainment and lifestyle during the pandemic. A Rotten Tomatoes Certified Film Critic, he is equally at home covering stories on ground as he is interviewing celebrities and studios, and sometimes prefers to shepherd teams in delivering traffic through the day. Even as his role has evolved from reporter to supervisor over the years, his first love remains writing (and of late, talking on camera). With a good understanding of cinema and its trends, and a keen eye for detail, he continues to spark conversations around showbiz for readers around the world.Read More

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