Raj Kundra has been hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons of late. He was recently arrested in an alleged pornography-related case. The businessman has been sent to Police custody till July 23. We recently got our hands on one of his throwback interviews with Filmfare from 2013 where he opened up about being a self-made man, marrying an actress and more.
Talking about making it in the business world all on his own, Raj said, “I come from a humble background. My dad moved to London 45 years ago and worked as a bus conductor whereas my mother worked in a factory. We never had it easy. I’m a self-made man since I left college at the age of 18. Whenever Shilpa checks me for spending carelessly, I tell her I have no qualms about enjoying the money I have made. My anger pushed me. I hated poverty so much that I wanted to become rich. And I did make a difference in my life. Shilpa respected me for that as she’s self-made too.”
Raj also went on to spill the beans on falling in love with his wife Shilpa Shetty. “Everybody sees Shilpa as a sex symbol, a glamorous queen. But I get to see the real person. She was sitting with her mother in a hotel when I first met her. I realised how homely she actually was. It was apparent that she was cultured and had good values. It was love at first sight. From the moment I saw her, I knew I’d love her to be my life partner. What makes her different from other actors is that she doesn’t come with the baggage of being a celebrity. That impresses me the most," he added.
Elaborating further, he averred, " There’s more to her than meets the eye. She’s got an angelic side to her. Her homely side grew on me as I got to know her. One would think she’d drink, smoke - things that one associates with actresses. But she doesn’t do any of that. I took her home to meet my parents and she was extremely warm. She touched their feet. I respect that. It was then that I thought this girl could be my wife. My friends were supportive of the idea. I knew my dad would be hesitant about me marrying a glamour girl, there’s always a pre-conceived notion about them. But she was so different.”
At least 11 people including Raj have been arrested in the case for alleged involvement in a case relating to the production of pornography.
