2020 has been a great year for Netflix original Bollywood-related content. With the success of the series Indian Matchmaking, Netflix continues to broaden its horizon to Southeast Asian reality TV. Netflix’s Fabulous Lives Of Bollywood Wives is an exclusive look into the star-studded lives of well-known Bollywood personalities Neelam Kothari, Maheep Kapoor, Bhavna Pandey, and Seema Khan.
Following in the footsteps of already popular housewife dramas, such as The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Atlanta, the Fabulous Lives Of Bollywood Wives gives audiences an unprecedented look into the lives of Bollywood's most elite and their most notable connections. From Bollywood royalty, like Gauri and Shah Rukh Khan, to some of Bollywood’s famous producers, here are the most Bollywood celebrity appearances in Netflix’s Fabulous Lives Of Bollywood Wives.
Sanjay Kapoor
Sanjay Kapoor is one of the show’s main cast members, being the husband of Maheep Kapoor and the brother of famous Bollywood and Hollywood actor Anil Kapoor. Sanjay Kapoor had a burgeoning acting career in the late 90’s early 2000’s before taking on more producing roles in the late 2010s.
He is currently the founder and director of his own production company, alongside his wife Maheep, and has since released the film Tevar. As well as appearing in the Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives, Sanjay, alongside his wife Maheep, are now focused on helping their daughter Shananya launch her own career in Bollywood, adding to the long list of family members in the industry.
Arjun Kapoor
Arjun Kapoor is one of the industry's most well-known actors, coming from the Kapoor family artistic dynasty. Kapoor made his film debut in the 2012 action-romance flick Ishaqzaade and then starred in the widely popular 2014 Indian thriller film Gunday, alongside Priyanka Chopra.
Since then, Kapoor has been involved in a variety of projects, both commercially successful and not so popular at the box office. Nevertheless, he remains a busy actor and has multiple projects lined up for 2021. As seen on the show, Kapoor is also Maheep Kapoor’s nephew and often serves as an adviser to Maheep and her daughter, Shanaya.
Chunky Pandey
Before starring on the Fabulous Lives Of Bollywood Wives as Bhavna Pandey’s husband, Chunky Pandey was one of Bollywood's most popular actors in the late 1980s and early 90s. Pandey starred in over 80 films during his three-decade career where he often took on heroic type roles. He also worked in the Bangladeshi cinematic scene, which furthered his career and diversified his opportunities in the industry.
Pandey unofficially retired from acting in 2003 and has since made some guest appearances in newly developed Bollywood content. In the series, Pandey expressed that while it was always his dream to win a Filmfare award, he was happy and proud that his daughter Ananya was given the honor instead.
Sussanne Khan
Susanne Khan is one of Bollywood’s most well-known celebrities. A fashion and interior designer, Khan is the patron of The Charcoal Project, one of India’s most popular design stores.
Sussane’s Khan’s work has been featured in Architectural Digest, as well as other reputable interior design magazines, adding to her rising fame as an interior designer. Apart from being a business and entrepreneurial success, Sussane Khan is also the ex-wife of Bollywood superstar Hrithik Roshan and the daughter of Bollywood veteran, Sanjay Khan.
Sidharth Malhotra
Sidharth Malhotra started as a model at the age of 18 before transitioning into acting in the year 2014. Malhotra’s breakthrough role was in the widely popular 2012 coming of age film Student Of The Year, which earned him a Filmfare Award nomination.
Soon after, Malhotra saw himself working alongside long-standing Bollywood stars, like Katrina Kaif and Akshay Khanna, and working in projects produced by both Gauri and Shah Rukh Khan. Since then, Malhotra has starred in several commercially successful Bollywood films and has maintained a close relationship with the show’s stars, as seen in the series finale.
Janhvi Kapoor
Janhvi Kapoor also makes up for one of the show’s Bollywood appearances. A rising star, sister to Arjun Kapoor, and part of the Kapoor family dynasty, Jahnvi has been set up for quite a career in the industry.
The young star started in the industry in 2018 with the commercially successful romantic comedy, Dhadak. She went on to star in a lead role in Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, based on the real-life of female Indian air force pilot Gunjan Saxena, which was has been available for viewing on Netflix since August.
Ananya Panday
Ananya Panday is one of Bollywood’s upcoming stars. Daughter of Chunky Pandey and series main cast Bhavana Pandey, the 22-year-old has achieved a lot for her age. Panday’s breakthrough role was in the coming of age 2019 Bollywood film Student of The Year 2.
For her performance in Student Of The Year 2, Ananya Panday received a Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut, one of India’s most reputable award shows. Panday is set to star in more star-studded films in 2021, one of which she will star alongside another with famous Bollywood actress, Deepika Padukone.
Neelam Kothari
Before being one of the main cast members of Fabulous Lives Of Bollywood Wives, Neelam Kothari was considered one of Bollywood’s hottest stars. Having started in the industry at the tender age of 15, Kothari had a blossoming film career in the 1980s.
Her first film role in Jawaani proved to be a breakout role for the star and set her up for her most popular film role in Ghar Ka Chiraag, alongside fellow actor and Fabulous Lives Of Bollywood Wives cast member, Chunky Pandey. Even though Kothari has been on a long-acting hiatus, she has expressed on the show her hopes for a return in the industry, and fans are still waiting to see what the Bollywood legend planned next after the show.
Gauri Khan
Gauri Khan has established herself as one of India’s most successful interior designers. From designing spaces for renowned fashion houses, such as Robert Cavalli and Ralph Lauren, to many of her own Bollywood friends, Gauri Khan Designs has set the standard for luxury interior living in Bollywood.
Khan has also been involved in various film productions, including those starring her husband. Even though she is referred to as the Queen of Bollywood because of her marriage to Shah Rukh Khan, Gauri Khan does not want to be known only as Shah Rukh Khan’s wife. Both Gauri and Shah Rukh Khan have a very private standard of living, which sets them apart from nearly everyone else in the industry.
Karan Johar
Karan Johar is one of the most successful Bollywood filmmakers and the son of the late Yash Johar. From Kuch Kuch Hota Hai to My Name Is Khan, Karan Johar is responsible for some of the industry's biggest films. Johar also happens to be one of the executive producers of this reality series through his production company, Dharmatic. Despite being one of Bollywood’s most famous personalities, Johar and his career has come with its fair share of criticism.
The star has often been called out for his practice of nepotism in the industry, allegations which he denies. Nevertheless, Johar has carried on with a stellar position, especially as a man who has alluded to being part of the LGBTQIA+ community but never publicly come out because as he stated in his biography back in 2016, "(he lives) in a country where I could be jailed for saying (it).''
Shah Rukh Khan
Also known as the "King Of Bollywood," Shah Rukh Khan is the most successful Bollywood film star of all time. Having starred in over 100 Bollywood films and with 30 years of acting experience under his belt, Khan continues to be one of the industry's most sought out actors.
Despite his kingly status, Khan is mostly loved for his humble and humorous demeanor. Viewers get a glimpse of this in the show’s series finale, where Khan makes an appearance to discuss his and Gauri’s friendship with each of the wives and their families. This moment really encapsulates Shah Rukh Khan’s personality and gives reason to why he is so beloved around the world.