For decades, one Bollywood rumour refused to die. Ever since Tridev became a blockbuster and the song Oye Oye turned into a nationwide sensation, many believed that actress Sonam Khan’s success in the film had something to do with a secret romance with director Rajiv Rai.
Now, years later, Sonam has finally decided to debunks Rajiv Rai’s affair claims.
Taking to Instagram, the former actress penned a candid note, firmly dismissing claims that she and Rajiv Rai were romantically involved during the making of Tridev. According to Sonam, the story everyone believed was simply untrue.
“Big no,” she wrote, before recalling how rumours began almost from the first day of shooting. Following the film’s release, there was widespread speculation that she enjoyed special treatment on set because she was allegedly dating the director. The assumptions grew stronger as she landed the chartbuster Oye Oye, a song that was playing “at every nook and corner of the country.”
However, Sonam said that reality looked very different behind the scenes.
In a surprising twist, she shared that both she and Rajiv were already in committed relationships at the time. “Rajiv was on set with his girlfriend. I had a boyfriend parked not far away from the set either,” she wrote, adding that they were both “very taken people.”
The actress also disclosed that she wasn’t even Rajiv Rai’s preferred choice for Tridev. In fact, another actress had nearly been finalised for the role. According to Sonam, Rajiv wasn’t particularly impressed after seeing her rushes from Vijay, and she ultimately came on board only when other options didn’t work out.
She further rejected the idea of receiving any special privileges during the film’s production. “No romance, no secret phone calls, no so-called director privilege,” she wrote, insisting that her success was simply the result of a memorable song and audience love.
Sonam clarified that she and Rajiv Rai started dating only after Tridev had already released and both of them were single. The relationship later culminated in marriage in 1991. The couple, who also collaborated during the period of Vishwatma, separated in 2001, and their divorce was finalised in 2016 after a lengthy legal process.
With one heartfelt Instagram post, Sonam has finally put an end to one of Bollywood’s longest-running misconceptions, proving that sometimes the stories audiences believe are far more dramatic than reality itself.
