Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives season 3: Neelam Kothari, a former Bollywood actress and star of ‘Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives’, has once again opened up about her past in the third season of the show. This time, she’s joined by Maheep Kapoor, Bhavna Pandey, Seema Sajdeh, and new ladies from Delhi: Shalini Passi, Kalyani Saha Chawla, and Riddhima Kapoor Sahni.
Neelam Kothari on her first marriage
In one episode, while chatting with producer Ekta Kapoor, Neelam shared a challenging chapter of her life—her first marriage to Rishi Sethia, a businessman from one of Britain’s wealthiest Asian families. She revealed the struggles she faced during that time.
Neelam explained that her marriage required her to make major lifestyle changes, such as giving up certain foods, wearing traditional Indian clothing, and even changing her name. At first, she accepted these changes, but soon realised that she was being asked to give up her very identity.
“I was told to wear Indian clothes, give up non-veg and alcohol. I was okay with everything. I was also asked to change my name, and I did that too. Many people do that. But changing my identity? That is something I was not okay with. I reached a point where I questioned myself, ‘How am I allowing this?’ There were times when I was at a supermarket or out for lunch, and someone would ask, ‘Are you Neelam the actress?’ And I had to say, ‘No, I am not Neelam,’” she shared on the show.
Neelam Kothari's ex-husband Rishi Sethia's net worth and family background
Rishi Sethia is the son of industrialist Nirmal Kumar Sethia and the late Chitra Devi Sethia. He was born in the UK after his family moved there in 1969. The Sethia family owns the luxury tea brand Newby, known for its special blends served at five-star hotels and Michelin-starred restaurants around the world.
In 2022, the Sethia family featured in the UK's Asian Rich List, with an estimated net worth of around Rs 684.49 crores), according to various sources. They even commissioned a Guinness World Record-holding teapot encrusted with diamonds and rubies, valued at $3 million (about Rs 25 crore), to celebrate the cultural importance of tea.
Neelam and Rishi were married in a lavish ceremony in Bangkok in October 2000. However, their marriage was short-lived, and they divorced shortly after. In 2011, Neelam found love again and married Samir Soni. Meanwhile, Rishi married former Miss India winner and jewellery designer Queenie Singh in 2015.