Do you remember actress Vijayta Pandit, who shot to fame with her debut film Love Story alongside actor Kumar Gaurav? Their on-screen chemistry led to rumors that they were romantically involved, and these rumors went as far as claiming that their relationship was the reason behind the breakup of Kumar Gaurav’s engagement to Raj Kapoor’s daughter, Reema Kapoor. But now, after years, Vijayta Pandit has opened up about these speculations and shared her side of the story.
Kumar Gaurav Was Ready to Marry Vijayta Pandit Despite His Engagement
In a recent interview with Lehren Retro, Vijayta Pandit revealed some surprising details about her relationship with Kumar Gaurav during the shooting of Love Story. According to her, Kumar Gaurav was deeply in love with her and was even prepared to marry her, despite being engaged to Reema Kapoor. “He was the first boy who hugged me, and that was the first time I felt such emotions,” said Vijayta.
The film Love Story became a massive success, and fans loved the chemistry between Vijayta and Kumar Gaurav. Comparisons were drawn with other iconic romantic pairs of that time, such as Rishi Kapoor-Dimple Kapadia in Bobby and Sunny Deol-Amrita Singh in Betaab.
Kumar Gaurav Followed Vijayta Everywhere, His Father Rajendra Kumar Disapproved
Vijayta also mentioned that Kumar Gaurav, fondly known as Bunty, was quite affectionate and used to follow her everywhere. He even held her hand and danced with her frequently. However, their relationship did not sit well with Kumar Gaurav’s father, legendary actor Rajendra Kumar. Vijayta said, “Rajendra Kumar was very unhappy with our relationship. He used to tell Bunty that he should marry a girl from a good family.”
According to her, Rajendra Kumar wanted his son to marry someone of high status, and this led to tension between father and son. Rajendra Kumar, who was also a film producer, had reportedly discussed the matter with Raj Kapoor, and they arranged the engagement between Kumar Gaurav and Reema Kapoor.
Vijayta Attended Kumar Gaurav’s Engagement, Felt He Was Going Crazy
Vijayta also attended Kumar Gaurav’s engagement with Reema Kapoor. She recalled that he gave Reema a large diamond ring, and when she complimented the ring, Kumar Gaurav got angry and told her that if she didn’t like it, he would throw it away. “I felt he was going crazy, so I ran away from there,” Vijayta shared.
Despite being engaged, Kumar Gaurav continued to visit Vijayta’s house. However, Vijayta’s family was uncomfortable with the situation, especially since Kumar Gaurav was about to get married. Vijayta’s father eventually approached Rajendra Kumar to ask him to stop his son from meeting Vijayta. But according to Vijayta, Kumar Gaurav insisted that he would marry her and even swore to do so.
The Real Reason Behind Kumar Gaurav’s Breakup With Reema
Vijayta cleared up the long-standing rumor that she was the cause of Kumar Gaurav’s broken engagement with Reema Kapoor. She said that while Kumar Gaurav was committed to her emotionally, she had no role in the breakup. “I came to know later that he was having an affair with Namrata Dutt, and that was the reason his engagement with Reema was broken. I had no involvement in this,” she clarified.
Where Are Vijayta Pandit, Kumar Gaurav, and Reema Kapoor Now?
After the events surrounding the engagement and breakup, life moved on for all the involved parties. In 1984, Kumar Gaurav married Namrata Dutt, daughter of iconic actors Nargis and Sunil Dutt. The couple has two children. Meanwhile, Reema Kapoor married businessman Manoj Jain, and they have two sons, Armaan and Aadar Jain.
As for Vijayta Pandit, she went on to marry music composer Adesh Srivastava in 1990. The couple had two children together. Sadly, Adesh Srivastava passed away in 2015 after battling cancer. Vijayta continues to live a quiet life, far from the limelight that once shone brightly on her during her acting days.
