Jackie Shroff and Ayesha’s Love Story: How the Daughter of a Belgian Countess Fell in Love with a Bombay Chawl Boy on a School Bus

BOLLYWOOD AND LOVE STORIES often go hand in hand. From iconic and ephemeral to tragic, some of the most beloved stars of the film industry have found their names in the timeline of real-life meet-cute tales or classic chapters of boy-meets-girl stories. Some love stories, like that of actor Paresh Rawal and his beloved Swaroop Sampat, always remain a perennial reminder of how love in reel can become real if it is true.

Similarly, the story of Jaikishan Kakubhai Saraf and how he met his now-wife is often remembered for its resemblance to a fairy tale. People might recognize Jaikishan more quickly by his stage name—Jackie Shroff, aka Jaggu Dada.

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Actor Jackie Shroff's love story with his wife, Ayesha Shroff, is often deemed a mirror of a fairy tale, where a rich girl from a royal family falls in love with a commoner. Jackie and Ayesha married on June 5, 1987—the same day as Ayesha’s birthday. 

The couple's meet-cute story, their marriage, and everything in between have been reported several times. But did you know that before Ayesha became Jackie’s wife, she was Ayesha Dutt, the daughter of Air Vice Marshal Ranjan Dutt and Claude Marie Dutt de Cavey, a Belgian countess? How did a royal girl fall in love with a young man from Bombay (now Mumbai), who later conquered the Hindi film industry with his charm and her support?

Love at First Sight? When 13-Year-Old Ayesha Dutt Met Jackie Shroff

In a conversation with actor Simi Garewal on her talk show Rendezvous with Simi Garewal in 2002, the couple shared their first encounter. Shroff recalled that the couple first met when Ayesha was on her school bus on Warden Road (now Bhulabhai Desai Road) in Mumbai, Maharashtra. “I saw a girl. I took a turn, and she was hanging from the bus in her school uniform, and I said, ‘Wow,’” recalled Shroff.

Even though they met accidentally that day, fate brought them together once again just days later when they met again at a record shop. Ayesha was 13 at the time, while Jackie was 16.

Ayesha shared that it was she who made the first move and recalled how, after their first conversation, she knew he was the one. She recalled thinking to herself, “This is the man I am going to marry.” Ayesha came from a wealthy family and was born into privilege. On the contrary, Jackie Shroff was raised in the Teen Batti locality of Bombay. After their paths crossed, Ayesha and Jackie started dating.

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They spent simple moments together, such as sitting on top of a double-decker bus and going on long walks. But nothing changed between them. Ayesha told Garewal that the bottom line was love, and that nothing else mattered. Both Jackie and Ayesha’s mother thought it was a “passing phase” or just an “infatuation,” but their love for each other transcended all rationality.

When Ayesha Wanted Jackie’s Ex-Girlfriend to Return and Marry Him Too

Jackie told Garewal that the first time he realized Ayesha truly loved him was when she wrote a letter to another girl for whom Jackie had feelings. She was a girl Jackie had met before Ayesha came into his life. While Garewal expressed her shock when Ayesha revealed that the mystery girl was Jackie’s then girlfriend, he continued to narrate what had really happened. 

Jackie shared that his ex-girlfriend had gone to the USA for her studies and had assured him that she would return. It was during this time that Jackie met Ayesha and fell in love with her.

When Jackie confessed that he was in love with another girl who was in the US, what Ayesha did next made Garewal gasp. Jackie quoted Ayesha as saying, “Let me write a letter to her.” Ayesha did write the letter to the mystery girl, asking her to come back so that they could both marry Jackie, live together, and be his two wives. Garewal looked at Mrs. Shroff in disbelief and said, “Ayesha?” Ayesha replied, “I don't know what I was thinking,” and started laughing.

Jackie and Ayesha married in 1987. Ayesha left her cozy and affluent lifestyle to live with Jackie in a chawl during the early years of their relationship. Ayesha Shroff is also an actor, producer, and former Miss Young Indian 1980, while Jackie Shroff owned the 1980s and had several hits, such as Andar Bahar (1984) and Ram Lakhan (1989).

With a career spanning over four decades, Jackie Shroff became a household name, proving his versatility as an Indian actor. Jackie Shroff and Ayesha Shroff have two children, Tiger Shroff and Krishna Shroff.

(Edited by Harsh Pandey)

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