Their husbands might rule the Indian film industry but Bollywood star wives are no less. They rule their own stardom in different sectors of business, and can give tough competition to their husbands in the earnings department. Here are some of the popular Bollywood star wives who have established their own successful business careers
Twinkle Khanna is much more than just the wife of superstar Akshay Kumar. Even before she became a bestselling writer, she started an interior designing farm called ‘The White Window’ in Mumbai, which is still doing great business. However, it was her daily column ‘Mrs Funnybones’, and the subsequent book of the same name that brought her mass adulation for her quirky and witty style of writing. The book became a bestseller and she quickly followed it up with a sequel—‘The legend of Laxmi Prasad’.
She belongs to the family of some of the most dashing male stars of Bollywood. Daughter of Sanjay Khan, sister of Zayed khan and the ex-wife of Hrithik Roshan, Sussanne Khan is an accomplished businesswoman in her own right. An interior designing graduate from the Brooks College, California, she is the proud owner of a big interior designing boutique, ‘House of Design’ in Mumbai. Most of the big names of Bollywood are her clients. After the success of her first boutique, she has launched her second store ‘The Charcoal Project’, which is doing great as well.
Of all the star wives who have managed to create their own identity, Shobha Kapoor, wife of yesteryear star Jeetendra, is probably the most successful. The Managing Director of Balaji Telefilms, she and her daughter Ekta are the czarinas of Indian soap operas, and have won multiple industry awards for the popularity of their shows. In fact, in 2017, Balaji had earned revenues of over 300 crore, which is more than most what bollywood blockbusters earn.
Kiran Rao had established her career even before meeting Aamir Khan. She is a mass communication degree holder from Jamia Milia University. She started her career in Bollywood with a single-minute supporting role in Aamir Khan’s movie ‘Dil Chahta Hai’, and was also an assistant director in Ashutosh Gowarikar’s ‘Lagaan’ and ‘Swades’. In 2005, she tied the knot with Aamir Khan. She then made her debut as a director with the critically acclaimed Aamir Khan-starrer ‘Dhobi Ghat’.
by Neeraj Varty
