The Love Story of Paresh Rawal and Swaroop Sampat: From Saying “Yeh Ladki Meri Wife Banegi” at First Sight to Marrying her After 12 Years of Dating

ACTOR, PRODUCER AND FORMER POLITICIAN Paresh Rawal, regarded as one of the finest actors Hindi cinema has ever seen, is widely known for his characters on screen. From Hera Pheri's Babu Bhaiya to OMG's Kanji Lal, Paresh Rawal is an actor celebrated across several genres. However, away from the reel, his real life also echoes one of the strongest genres to exist—love.

The Welcome actor tied the knot with the love of his life, Swaroop Sampat, in 1987 after dating for around 12 years. Their love story had all the ingredients of a Bollywood romantic film. Swaroop Sampat and Paresh Rawal met for the first time during their college days. Sampat was from a rich and influential family, while Rawal was a theatre artist. The duo fell for each other at first sight.

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“Yeh Ladki Meri Wife Banegi”: When Paresh Rawal Met His Future Wife

In a podcast episode hosted by Raj Shamani, Paresh Rawal shared the story of how he met his wife. He revealed that he, along with his friends, used to work at the Indian National Theatre, whose executive producer was Bachhu Bhai Sampat, father of Swaroop Sampat. Bachhu Bhai Sampat was a well-renowned actor in Gujarati theatre.

When Rawal saw her for the first time, he recalled that Swaroop was wearing a saree. Calling her "divine," he remembered telling his friend, "Yeh ladki meri wife banegi (This girl will become my wife).” He further shared that his friend called him an idiot and reminded him that Swaroop Sampat was the daughter of their boss, for whom they worked. However, Rawal couldn't have cared less, and after dating Swaroop for 12 years, he married the love of his life in 1987.

Rawal also told Shamani about their meet-cute story, adding that Swaroop already knew him because she had seen one of his plays. They met when she was 16 and he was 19, went to watch a movie together, and that was how their epic love story began.

Paresh Rawal shared that he had told Swaroop he wanted to marry her when he was just 19, even though they barely knew each other. He recalled telling her, "Look, friend, no one gets to know their better half completely, even until death. So don't be under that illusion. Let's grow together and commit. After that, everything gets easier. Dheere dheere ho gaya woh (It happened gradually).”

How Paresh Rawal Asked Swaroop's Family for Her Hand in Marriage

Shamani asked whether Swaroop's parents disapproved of their relationship, considering that Rawal was not well-off during the early days of his career. Rawal replied that her parents knew Swaroop was not interested in being with anyone else. She belonged to a wealthy Bhatia family, and Rawal was a regular visitor to their house. He recalled that during one of his drama tours, he, Swaroop, and his friends stayed at a hotel. They had two rooms, out of which he and Swaroop stayed in one room, while his friends stayed in the other.

Paresh Rawal was leaving for the outdoor shoot of the Sunny Deol-starrer Dakait when Swaroop told him it was time to have the long-awaited talk. Immediately after that, Rawal went to speak with Bachhu Bhai and asked for Swaroop's hand in marriage. He joked that when he told Bachhu Bhai about wanting to marry Swaroop, he asked him to get a stool and climb onto it.

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Rawal recalled, "I thought he was going to ask me to climb onto the stool, get a rope, tie it to the fan, and hang myself." However, he continued that Bachhu Bhai instead asked him to get a bottle of alcohol, after which they drank together until 11 or 12 that night. He told Shamani that there was no tension between the two families and expressed his gratitude for everything. He also shared that his family knew Swaroop well, as she would often visit his home and meet his family.

Rawal added that his career began flourishing by the time he was 29, a few years before his marriage to Swaroop Sampat. 

Who Is Swaroop Sampat?

Swaroop Sampat is also known for her roles in films such as Naram Garam (1981) and the Hindi TV serial Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi (1984). She was also an Indian beauty pageant winner who won the Femina Miss India Universe 1979 title and subsequently represented India at the Miss Universe pageant the same year. After her marriage to Paresh Rawal, the couple welcomed their two sons named Aditya and Aniruddh.

(Edited by Harsh Pandey)

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