Nearly three years after a lavish palace wedding in Jaipur, actor Hansika Motwani and businessman Sohael Khaturiya have officially ended their marriage. The couple were granted a divorce by the Bandra Family Court in Mumbai. According to reports, the separation was by mutual consent after both parties acknowledged that the relationship had irretrievably broken down. The two had reportedly been living apart since July 2024, before formally deciding to end the marriage.
The petition reportedly stated that Hansika and Sohael had been facing frequent disagreements, even over minor issues, which gradually made it difficult for them to continue living together. Efforts by family members and close friends to reconcile the couple were unsuccessful. Hansika’s lawyer confirmed the development and clarified that the actor had not sought any financial settlement. Speculation about problems in their marriage began circulating after fans noticed that Hansika had removed several wedding photographs from her Instagram account.
While neither Hansika nor Sohael has personally spoken publicly about the divorce so far, the end of their marriage has renewed attention to their relationship – a love story that began with a viral proposal but quickly became entangled in claims that Hansika had married a friend’s ex-husband.
Hansika and Sohael’s love story
Hansika and Sohael had known each other for years before they began dating. The two were reportedly friends for more than eight years and had also worked together on business ventures and events. Over time, their friendship evolved into a romantic relationship.
Their relationship became public in November 2022 when Sohael proposed to Hansika in Paris near the Eiffel Tower. The proposal featured a romantic setup with candles and illuminated letters spelling out “Marry Me.” Hansika shared photos of the moment on social media, and the images quickly went viral. Within weeks, the couple announced their wedding plans.
(Photo: Hansika Motwani/Instagram)
The grand Jaipur wedding
Hansika and Sohael tied the knot on December 4, 2022, in a lavish destination wedding at Mundota Fort and Palace in Jaipur. The celebrations began in Mumbai with a traditional Mata Ki Chowki before moving to Rajasthan for several days of festivities.
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The pre-wedding functions included a Sufi night, sangeet, cocktail party and haldi ceremony before the traditional Hindu wedding. The wedding quickly became one of the most talked-about celebrity celebrations of the year because of its scale and grandeur.
Hansika later turned the experience into a reality show, Hansika’s Love Shaadi Drama, which streamed on JioHotstar and offered viewers a behind-the-scenes look at her wedding preparations.
But around the same time, the couple also found themselves dealing with an unexpected controversy.
(Photo: Hansika Motwani/Instagram)
The allegations about Sohael’s first marriage
Before marrying Hansika, Sohael was married to Rinky Bajaj since 2016. Their relationship eventually ended in divorce after a few years.
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When Hansika announced her engagement to Sohael, old videos from Sohael and Rinky’s wedding resurfaced online. In those clips, Hansika could be seen attending the celebrations and participating in functions like the haldi and sangeet. She could also be seen sitting beside Rinky during her chooda ceremony.
As the videos spread on social media, many users claimed that Rinky had once been Hansika’s close friend and accused the actor of later marrying her friend’s former husband. The accusations quickly gained traction online, leading to heavy trolling directed at Hansika.
Hansika and Sohael respond
Hansika and Sohael addressed the controversy in their reality show. Sohael dismissed the claims that Hansika had anything to do with the breakdown of his first marriage. “The news that I was previously married came out and it came out in a wrong light. It came out as if the breakup was because of Hansika, which is absolutely untrue and baseless,” he said.
Hansika also spoke about the criticism she faced after the narrative spread online. “Just because I knew the person at that time doesn’t mean it was my fault. I have nothing to do with this. Because I am a public figure, it was very easy for people to point at me and make me the villain. This was a price I pay for being a celebrity,” she said in the show.
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(Photo: Hansika Motwani/Instagram)
Sohael further explained that the speculation began simply because Hansika had attended his earlier wedding. “But just because we have been friends and someone saw pictures of her attending my wedding, is why this speculation started,” he said.
In 2023, in a conversation with NDTV Good Times, Hansika revealed that Sohael is actually her brother’s best friend.
“The whole narrative was media-written — best friend, this friend and all… I was like, ‘arre baap re (oh my God)’.” When she was asked how she reacted when reports of her being present at Sohael’s first wedding surfaced, the actor said, “No, but he is my brother’s best friend. He’s always been around us,” she said.
Hansika further explained, “I think I have said this in the series too — ye tha andekha, anjana sa… iske baju me toh mai ghumti thi (He was the unknown, mystery man who was always around)’. So, he was always around me. I think we both have dated other individuals, when we were around each other. He was my brother’s best friend and then eventually we became best friends and that’s how it started. There was a time when I used to tell people, they say ‘marry your best friend, it is the most coolest thing, you will be comfortable’. I used to say ‘yeh sab jhoot bolte hai. Aisa kuch nahi hota hai (This is a myth, people are lying)’. And, when it happened to me, I was like, ‘I want to take back my words’, because marrying your best friend is the most comfortable thing that can happen to your life. I am just blessed.”
