Sonali Bendre finally breaks silence over reports of dating Raj Thackeray 20 years ago, says, 'Relationship is...'
Sonali Bendre finally breaks silence over reports of dating Raj Thackeray 20 years ago, says, 'Relationship is...'
Sonali Bendre, who captivated audiences with her admirable beauty and acting chops in 90s, has finally broke silence on her link-up rumours with Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray. The online chatter started when an old video of the two went viral, which led to the speculations that Raj Thackeray was allegedly having crush on her 20 years ago. Reacting to the buzz in an interview with ANI, Bendre said, 'Did he… I doubt it,' Firmly denying the rumours she clarified, 'I was talking to my sister who was right there.'
Addressing the gossip, The Hum Hum Saath Saath Hai actress added, 'I don't know. I mean, a lot of people… I think it's just not in very good taste when people talk about it like that. First of all, I mean, there are families involved and people involved in all of that.'
Explaining the decade-old association she had with his family, Sonali said, 'Other than the fact that my brother-in-law and my sister… my brother-in-law who's a cricketer and hence used to play cricket with Raj's cousin… Sister's husband and they always played together. Secondly, my sister's mother-in-law was the head of the department that taught us English literature in the (Ramnarain) Ruia College, which I'm from.'
She further revealed a personal family bond, stating, '…so they all knew each other. For me, the connection was that Sharmila, Raj's wife, her mother, and my Maasi were best friends. Her mother has held me for 10 days because you know how, oh, her, my mother's younger sister, Maasi. So when she delivered Raj, they all came laughing. Oh, her elder sister's baby. Let's go and see the baby. They've come to the hospital and seen me. So literally, that's the kind of connection.'
Sonali further added, 'I've always travelled around… It's not something that I know them beyond a point because I came into Maharashtra only once in two years during summer holidays or something like that.'
When asked whether she's interested in joining politics, the Sarfarosh actress firmly denied and said, 'No, not really. I think you need a lot of very thick skin for it, which I don't have… and I'm not politically correct… unfortunately.'
Meanwhile, Sonali Bendre has been a part of several hit movies including, Major Saab, Sarfarosh, Duplicate, Zakhm, Chori Chori, and Hum Saath Saath Hain, among others. She was last seen in the second season of the ZEE5 series The Broken News.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Bumrah leads T20WC anniversary bash in Birmingham; Pant teases Jadeja on '1-year' milestone, gets knockout response
One year on from the famous victory at the T20 World Cup final in Barbados, India has been reliving that incredible night and celebrating all across the world after ending a long and painful drought of no trophies. When Suryakumar Yadav completed that iconic catch on the long-off boundary and ensured India were once again ICC trophy winners, a generation of cricketers breathed easy for finally having secured silverware — and they were together again one year later, on June 29 2025, as key members from that winning team cut a pair of cakes to commemorate the moment while in Birmingham. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj cut the two cakes while their teammates watch and celebrate the one-year anniversary of the triumph.(BCCI X) In a video shared by the BCCI on social media, select members of India's touring party in England can be seen gathered in a restaurant in Birmingham, where the team prepares for the second Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at Edgbaston. Before the serious stuff starts on July 2, however, this was a nice moment for key players to look back at where they were a year ago while sharing a celebration of the moment with each other. The Indian team honoured the moment with two different cakes, one reading 'Team India', the other reading 'Champions T20 WC 2024'. No player looked ready to be the one to take the responsibility and cut the cake, with the likes of Rishabh Pant, Arshdeep Singh, and Mohammed Siraj urging each other to be the one. 'Paaji, kaato na…' Ultimately, it was Jasprit Bumrah who stood up and took the responsibility — just like he did a year ago, bowling two crucial overs that turned the tide of a game that was heavily in South Africa's favour with the Proteas needing run-a-ball from the last five overs to win. Bumrah stepped forward to cut one cake, while Siraj did his duties for the other, after their younger battery-mate Arshdeep urged them by saying "Paaji, kaato na (cut it no.)" Pant also teased Ravindra Jadeja by reminding him they were also celebrating the one-year anniversary of his retirement from the T20 format, with the all-rounder having joined Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in calling it a day in the shortest format after that finals victory. Jadeja was sharp to retort, however, reminding his younger teammates that he was still around in the other two formats. The players then went on to feed each other bites of the cake in a really nice moment which encapsulated why this was such an important period of time: after years of coming close but not quite getting over the finish line, this Indian team had managed to get the albatross off its back by lifting the trophy. Whether this heartfelt team moment can be the base for India to bounce back after an opening loss in the English series remains to be seen.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
'F1' box office collection Day 3: Brad Pitt starrer earns 8.00 Cr on its third day, takes India net total to ₹21.25 Cr
Brad Pitt starrer 'F1' made it to the theatres recently and has been keeping the audience engaged. This sports drama had been in the works for a long time and created quite a buzz before its release. Let's take a look at how much it has earned worldwide in its first 3 days, 3-Day Global Collection The Hollywood sports drama 'F1' is directed by Joseph Kosinski, known for his hit film 'Top Gun: Maverick'. The movie had an early release in selected international markets on Wednesday, June 25. In the U.S. and Canada, 'F1' was released on Friday, June 27. In just 3 days since its worldwide rollout, the film has earned an impressive amount at the global box office. Strong Start at the Indian Box Office According to early reports from Sacnilk, the film earned an estimated ₹13.25 crore net over its first two days. On day three, it continued to attract audiences and collected around ₹8 crore net across all languages. With this, the film's total net earnings in India have reached approximately ₹21.25 crore in just three days. Good Audience Turnout for F1 on Sunday On Sunday, June 29, 2025, the film had good feedback from the moviegoers. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Wrinkle Cream Keeps Selling Out At Costco (Find Out Why) The Skincare Magazine Undo The film recorded an overall English occupancy rate of 47.01% across theatres. About the film Brad Pitt plays the role of Sonny Hayes, a former Formula 1 driver. The film also stars Damson Idris , Kerry Condon , and Simone Ashley. The story follows Sonny, who was a popular F1 racer in the 1990s but had to step away after a serious accident. Thirty years later, he's persuaded to return to the sport by the owner of a struggling F1 team. The film focuses on Sonny's comeback journey as he teams up with a younger driver and tries to reclaim his place in the world of racing. Brad Pitt & Tom Cruise Reunite at F1 Premiere | Fans Lose It Over Epic Red Carpet Moment
India Gazette
9 hours ago
- India Gazette
We miss you: Subhash Ghai remembers Irrfan Khan
ANI 29 Jun 2025, 21:12 GMT+10 Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 29 (ANI): Filmmaker Subhash Ghai recently took a trip down memory lane as he remembered the late actor Irrfan Khan. Ghai shared an old photo from an award ceremony with the actor, along with an emotional note that quickly caught the attention of fans online. In the photo, Ghai and Irrfan can be seen smiling. Ghai, who worked with Irrfan in the film 'Right Yaa Wrong,' took to his Instagram account to share a post praising him not just as an actor but as someone who deeply understood the art of storytelling. He wrote, 'I have always been more in admiration of good and great actors than just cosmetic stars of any time. Good actors enhance storytelling--stars play stars to glitter the film. I was more happy to receive compliments from Irrfan than an award at an award function. So, I remember this picture vividly. We miss you, Irrfan.' Take a look Irrfan Khan is considered one of the best actors in the Indian film industry. The legendary Indian actor made his debut with the Oscar-nominated Hindi film Salaam Bombay! and went on to star in some of the most critically acclaimed films in India like Life in a... Metro, The Lunchbox, and Hindi Medium. However, the actor's success was not confined to the boundaries of India. He performed exceptionally well in several international projects, which garnered him significant recognition abroad and put him on the map of world cinema. Irrfan died at a Mumbai hospital on April 29, 2020. He was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumor and lost his life to it. (ANI)
