The Hidden Love Story of Reena Roy and Mohsin Khan – Jaya Bachchan’s Role in Helping Her Decide for the Pakistani Cricketer

Reena Roy and Mohsin Khan’s marriage – Learn everything about these two superstars’ love affair and how Jaya Bachchan stepped into to get them married

Reena Roy and Mohsin Khan’s marriage was much-talked about and the central focus of India and Pakistan when the two tied the nuptial knot way back in 1983. Both were at the peak of their respective careers when they decided to settle down in life – Reena was the leading Bollywood actress and Mohsin was the top batsman of Pakistan cricket team. They were enjoying their careers and were in massive demand with big fan following. One of the higher-paid actresses of her time, Reena (born Saira Ali) was madly in love with actor Shatrughan Sinha (her costar in many movies) before Mohsin came into her life. But after the arrival of Khan into Roy’s glamorous life, she was nonetheless in a confused state of mind whether to be the better half of Sinha or Khan. Reena was on a constant see-saw, as Shatru was also shaky to make his final decision since he too had lost his heart to his childhood sweetheart Poonam Sinha – who was crowned Miss Young India in 1968. Poonam also appeared in Hindi movies in minor roles before her marriage to Sinha. It was also believed that the marriage of Shatru and Poonam in 1980 paved way for Reena Roy to marry her dream man Mohsin Hassan Khan.

Roy was much depressive those days because at one side was leading actor of Hindi cinema Shatrughan Sinha and on the other was Mohsin Khan – the charming, suave, internationally popular handsome cricketer of Pakistan. It was late Bollywood actor Vinod Khanna, who took her out of this phase. And on the other hand, Jaya Bachchan (Bollywood actress and the wife of legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan) helped Reena say ‘yes’ to the marriage proposal of the Pakistani cricketer whom Roy loved head to toe, but was reluctant to finalize her decision. Once she decided to toss away Sinha from her life, it was the moment to let happiness come in her depressed life. The leading Bollywood actress had decided to say ‘goodbye’ to her successful film career to play the ‘perfect bahu’ (perfect daughter-in-law) of Pakistan.

Reena’s love for Mohsin had crossed all the boundaries and the lovebirds were the headlines of all the tabloids and newspapers in India, Pakistan and across the globe. Paparazzi were always behind the two to get the juicy tidbits. Reena was also found in the stadium whenever Mohsin was playing the match. Both were unable to detach – it was Heer-Ranjha love saga, which was going on rapidly. Whenever India won the match from Pakistan, entire Bollywood industry would say ‘Jhal Gaye Reena Roy’ (Reena Roy got jealous). Khan was her prince charming and she used to dream as if he was galloping to her sitting on a horse.

By the time she was in London for a show of Amitabh Bachchan, Khan went there to meet her to spend quality time together. He would call her in the evenings and the two then would go for long drives. The two used to exchange their professions, parents, ambitions and future. Long dating of almost six years cemented a powerful relationship of love between them.

When Mohsin was not with her and way away for his game in different parts of the world, the actress missed him a lot and then confessed her mad love for the Pakistani cricketer to her friend Jaya Bachchan. It was Jaya who went ahead of helping Reena to put all her doubts for her family, her career and about Shatrughan Sinha. She asked her to find her own identity. Jaya let Reena Roy to make decision to marry Khan, as the two were in a relationship with more than six years. She helped her realize that he had everything such as talents, success, fame and money. Roy had earned a big fame, stardom and money by then and had spent a long innings in the filmdom. Now it was the time to think for her personal life. Jaya made her understand the fact that if she missed the chance, she would never probably get another in life. She made up her mind at last, as Mohsin was her ultimate dream guy she wanted to have as a life partner.

For the actress who always lived in a fantasy world, it was a quiet wedding on 1^st April, 1983. The top notch actress of Hindi film industry at the height of her fame quit movies to be happy in her upcoming married life with her prince charming. Industry made fun of her and costars laughed at her, but the adamant actress tied the knot leaving all and sundry behind and flew to her new home Karachi, Pakistan. Reena Roy and Mohsin Khan’s marriage grabbed hogged the light since both were superstars in their own trades and had biggest fan following. Entire media in India and Pakistan and even world over was abuzz for this high profile celebrities’ marriage.

Years later, the two divorced. Mohsin remaired a girl in Pakistan and their (Mohsin and Reena’s) daughter’s custody was given to Reena Roy. She was named ‘Jannat’ (heaven) by Mohsin Khan, but later her name was changed to Sanam by Reena Roy and her sister Barkha. Heer-Ranjha love eventually melted down with the divorce.