Mallika Sherawat was married at 21 to a pilot and THIS was her original name, her uncle once revealed the reason for divorce and said, ‘she decided to quit wedlock and lead an independent lifestyle’

Mallika Sherawat has always been known for her bold fashion choices, outspoken personality and unconventional decisions. However, before she became a familiar face in Bollywood as Mallika Sherawat, she was Reema Lamba, a young woman from Moth, a small village in Haryana’s Hisar district.While her journey in the entertainment industry is widely known, her personal life, particularly her first marriage, has remained relatively private. Mallika was reportedly only 21 when she married Karan Singh Gill, a Jet Airways pilot. At the time, she was still known as Reema Lamba.The marriage was reportedly a love-cum-arranged one, with family members from both sides attending the wedding. However, the relationship eventually came to an end after Mallika decided to pursue a career in the glamour industry. Over the years, she has largely maintained silence about her marriage and divorce.In 2009, Stardust revisited Mallika’s lesser-known past and spoke to her uncle, Sushil Lamba, who shared details about her relationship with Karan and the circumstances surrounding their separation.Recalling their relationship, Sushil said, “As their (Mallika and Karan) friendship started brewing, the lovebirds decided to marry soon. It was a love-cum-arranged marriage, and everybody from both sides of the family was present there at the wedding. It was a grand reception in Delhi.”According to him, Mallika had always aspired to achieve fame and financial success. He said, “She always had a thought of becoming rich and famous. She married Gill because she was in love with him, but married life wasn’t made for her. So, she decided to quit wedlock and lead an independent lifestyle. From her own parents to her in-laws, everybody was against her decision and, as a result, she had a major argument with all of them.“He further claimed that differences began to emerge over Mallika’s career aspirations and lifestyle. “As we have heard, her in-laws were not interested in sending their girl into films and they were completely against her late nights and parties. As a result, tension started brewing between Reema and Karan. This might be the reason for their break-up,” he concluded.Stardust also spoke to Mallika’s former mother-in-law, who initially said she did not recognise the name Mallika Sherawat. She clarified that the family knew her as Reema Lamba.Speaking about her former daughter-in-law, Mallika’s ex-MIL said, “She was my daughter-in-law and we all loved her very much. But, afterwards, her behaviour and independent nature started creating problems for us.”She added, “We wanted a girl who was independent in her thoughts but, at the same time, someone who understood the needs of the family also. But her dream was something different from what we expected. She wanted to have a career in the glamour industry,” she concluded.Mallika and Karan eventually went their separate ways. While Mallika did not reportedly marry again, Karan is said to have moved on and given love another chance. Reports have also suggested that he later remarried and preferred to keep his association with Mallika in the past.Decades after her divorce, Mallika has continued to carve her own path in the entertainment industry. She remains known for making unconventional choices and challenging the norms associated with Bollywood. On the work front, she is set to be seen in ‘Traitors’ season 2.