He is a Punjabi munda and she is a Maharashtrian mulgi, poles apart, yet alike. They met on the sets of a film, he fell for her and wooed her, they became friends and soon sparks flew. Well, their story can give any romantic saga a run for its money. This is the love story of Bollywood’s demure beauty, Sonali Bendre, and her producer-husband Goldie Behl.
Their chance meeting on the sets of a film resulted in a lifelong friendship and love. It was love at first sight for Goldie and Sonali has deep respect for him for being chivalrous towards all the women in his life. Today, the two beautifully manage not only work together, but also their home and family. Lets take a look at their yin-yang relationship!
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It was love at first sight for Goldie who saw Sonali for the first time on the sets of film Naaraaz in 1994. Sonali was a big star in Bollywood and down south as she had done movies with almost all big heroes. Goldie had to win the heart of a diva who was the desired by million men out there. His sister, Shrishti Arya was the only common connection who introduced Goldie to Sonali. The first time he met her, he found her very attractive and what appealed the most to him was not her looks but her slow eating habit. Talking about their first meeting, Goldie shared:
“I bumped into Sonali on the sets of the film Naaraaz. My sister Shrishti Arya knew her well but I didn’t know her at all. I just found her attractive. (Winks) I still do. Believe it or not, what appealed to me the most was how slowly she ate her food. We were having lunch together and I commented on her eating pace. She got a little upset with my comment. At least, it broke the ice and we started talking. So our first conversation was about food and to date most of the times, we simply talk about food. (Laughs) Now most of it is about how little I should eat.”
Remembering their first encounter, Sonali once said:
“I was reading my book on the side and he was trying to get my attention and was kind of cute. We became friends and lovers for five years and are now married for ten.”
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They were meant to be together, that is destiny made them again and again. Soon, she signed a film that he was producing and assisting Mahesh Bhatt on the sets, and this gave them another chance to meet often. Goldie got candid about the days when they worked together and became friends. He said:
“After some time, she signed Angaaray, a film I was producing. I was also assisting Mahesh Bhatt who was directing the film. I had to relay messages from the director to the actor. Thanks to that job, Sonali and I started talking more and became good friends. At the same time, she was working on Major Saab which was produced by Amitabh Bachchan. I used to frequent the set quite often to meet my close friend Abhishek. The three of us (Abhishek, Goldie and Sonali) used to hang out together and my friendship with Sonali grew deeper. It’s remained intact to date. The movie took too long to get made and didn’t do well but what the heck, we found each other. So it will always remain a special film for me.”
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In the beginning, it was only a one-sided love story where Goldie was head over heels in love with Sonali, while she considered him just a good friend. But how love happened between the two and Sonali agreed to date him is a rather cute story. Goldie revealed how Sonali fell for him and shared:
“Eventually, our friendship turned into romance. But initially, the affections were one-sided. She was in denial. I didn’t give up on her though. Even my mom asked me not to let go of her. She thought Sonali was an amazing girl. For the first time in my life, I heeded my mom’s advice and thank God for that. Long drives and heated political discussions were instrumental in strengthening our bond. And in no time, we were seeing each other. I see no particular reason why she agreed to be with me but I’m glad she did. I believe the understanding and the compatibility I share with Sonali, I wouldn’t have had with anyone else in the world. We are so similar yet so different. We always have a lot to talk and share.”
Wondering what made Sonali fall for a simple guy like Goldie? Sonali once talked at length about her husband Goldie and said:
“Goldie lost his father (Ramesh Behl) at 13 and consecutive year, he lost his grandfather, and so he grew up among five women — his mother, grandmother and three sisters. He has always been around women, who are all strong and opinionated, which is lovely as he knows how to handle a woman with a mind of her own and not feel insecure about it. My parents are naive in their morality of things and so without realising it, I landed up being ethical and having strong opinions. He can deal with that. He can deal with the fact that his wife was an actor and a celebrity.”
Talking further about his chivalry, Sonali said:
“In fact, he feels proud of the fact that the male population finds me sexy. If we are at a party together and I am being photographed, he is fine just being there and will always tell me, 'This is your time, this is what you do' and then we will again be together after the picture is taken. There is never any kind of discomfort about that. If a man gave you a compliment, Goldie will not punch him and instead will tell him, 'Yes you're right, I appreciate it.' I love that about him.”
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Goldie was madly in love with Sonali and she had also started feeling strongly for him. They were very good friends who had a common circle of friends with whom they hung out often. Taking help from his friends, Goldie planned for a dream proposal for Sonali. Four years after he met her on the sets of Angaaray, Goldie got down on one knee at a party thrown by Abhishek Bachchan (their common friend) and asked his dream girl for marriage, she said YES!
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After Sonali accepted Goldie’s proposal for marriage, they decided to tell it to their respective families. Sonali was already very close to Goldie’s sister and his mother, it was Goldie who had to work hard to convince Sonali’s parents for the alliance as they had apprehensions about him being younger to their daughter, not as educated as their daughter and a non-Maharashtrian. Like every romantic Bollywood movie, it was definitely, pyaar ki jeet for Sonali and Goldie, when her parents agreed to the match and gave their blessings to go ahead with their plans of marriage!
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On November 12, 2002, Goldie and Sonali tied the knot in a lavish ceremony in the presence of all the big shots present from the field of entertainment, politics, and sports. The couple’s wedding was also graced by the then Chief Minister of Maharashtra Vilasrao Deshmukh. Other big shots who were a part of their wedding celebrations were Aamir Khan, the Bachchan family, Manisha Koirala, and Kajol etc.
Even after almost 15 years of their marriage, the couple is going strong. In one of his interviews, Goldie said beautiful words for his wife and called her, his pillar of strength. Goldie said:
“She’s my pillar of strength. She’s stood by me every time I’ve been down. She’s so positive about me and our relationship. For any relationship to work, having belief and faith in the other person is important. She’s always believed in me. I have immense faith and belief in her too. I guess that’s the crux of our relationship. Even though our marriage has completed a decade, we’re still discovering each other. There’s so much more to find out about each other and enjoy a long and happy life together. It’s great and I hope it remains this way.”
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After the couple tied the nuptial knot, their bond became stronger. Even today, after more than a decade of their wedding, the couple is madly in love, fond of each other, discovering new things about each other with each passing day. Isn’t this the best feeling to experience about each other in a happy marriage? After three years of their blissful marriage, the couple was blessed with a baby boy. On August 11, 2005, their son Ranveer was born in Mumbai and Goldie considers it to be the best gift given by his wifey, Sonali.
Talking about being Sonali a hands-on mommy, Goldie once said:
“Our son Ranveer is the most special gift Sonali has ever given me. She’s a hands-on mother. Even though she has all the help in the world, she makes it a point to help Ranveer get ready for school. She keeps a tab on what he’s taking in, mentally and physically. She keeps a check on what he’s exposed to. She doesn’t restrict his friends circle. She tries to give him the best of everything. She’s extremely close to him and she’s serious about her responsibilities as a mother.”
When it comes to being a loving and responsible dad, Goldie is not far behind. Sonali also had some amazing words to say for the father of her son. She said:
“Goldie is the loving father, the one who spoils the kid with love, not that she doesn’t enjoy the two boys bonding beautifully, it is just that she wants Ranveer to grow up responsibly. Being a star child isn’t easy and nothing should be taken for granted.”
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Though a celebrity couple, Sonali and Goldie always make sure that their personal life is very much guarded and they try their level best to keep their son, Ranveer grounded. There has been various ups and downs in their personal lives in terms of finances, but the two have always been together as each other’s support system. The sacrifices and dedication that the two have shown towards each other are what makes a marriage last a lifetime. Goldie is still smitten by Sonali’s beauty and checks her out whenever she enters any room. On the other hand, Sonali is still in awe of his chivalry and the fact that he lets her be a strong-headed woman.
The two have made some beautiful promises to each other and talking about the same, Sonali said:
“What we promised each other is that we appreciate each other's good things and can laugh at each other's bad things. He thrives on chaos and I need to be organised and lots of incidents come from this situation. He has a lot of patience and is mature for his age. What he likes about me is that he knows he will get an honest reply from me as I don't lie well. He is the romantic and I am the logical person. More than anything else you have to be friends and he is my best friend. I would love to say that I love my son Ranveer most but even today, I love Goldie the most in the world. I couldn't ask for more.”
Tied in the nuptial knot for almost 15 years now, Sonali and Goldie’s love tale is an inspiration for all the young couples out there who have made promises in love. We wish Sonali and Goldie to stay this way, madly in love with each other, all their lives. Much love and happiness to the lovely couple and their family!
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