Some Bollywood love stories from the 1980s still manage to surprise people decades later, and the marriage between former Pakistani cricketer Mohsin Khan and Bollywood star Reena Roy is one of them. In a recent conversation, Mohsin Khan opened up about what actually drew him to Reena all those years ago — and his answer wasn’t what most people would expect from a man who married one of Hindi cinema’s most glamorous leading ladies of that era. For those following entertainment and celebrity throwback stories, this one’s a genuinely candid look back at a marriage that once dominated headlines on both sides of the border.
A Confession Nobody Expected
Mohsin Khan didn’t hold back when talking about his marriage to Reena Roy, admitting quite openly that he’d never actually watched any of her films before their wedding — a fact he acknowledged sounds hard to believe given how big a star she was at the time. He explained that he wasn’t much of a film-watcher in general, though he’d occasionally pause if he happened to catch an Amitabh Bachchan scene while heading out somewhere.
What stood out most in his remarks was his insistence that beauty was never the deciding factor for him. He said he married Reena as a person, not because of how she looked, and that what mattered to him was simply being with a good human being. It’s a striking thing to hear from someone who married into one of Bollywood’s most photographed relationships of the decade.
A Cross-Border Romance That Made Headlines
Their story itself reads like something out of a film script. Reena Roy was riding high in Bollywood through the late ’70s and early ’80s, having delivered hit after hit in films like Kalicharan and Nagin, while Mohsin Khan was one of Pakistan’s most celebrated cricketers, known both for his batting and, as it turned out, his looks. When the two got married in Karachi in 1983, it sent shockwaves through both the Indian and Pakistani public — a Bollywood leading lady marrying a Pakistani cricket star wasn’t exactly common at the height of cross-border tensions, and the union became the subject of intense media fascination.
Following the wedding, Reena stepped away from her acting career and moved to Pakistan with Mohsin, where the couple welcomed a daughter, Jannat, who later became known as Sanam Khan. The early years, by most accounts, were happy ones, with the couple frequently moving between Karachi and London, where Mohsin owned a home.
Why the Marriage Eventually Fell Apart
The relationship, however, didn’t survive long-term. According to Reena’s own account in past interviews, much of the strain came down to lifestyle differences — Mohsin reportedly wanted the family to settle permanently in London and take up British citizenship, something Reena found difficult to adjust to, given how different it was from the life and career she’d built in India. The couple eventually divorced in the early 1990s, with Reena returning to India and later reviving parts of her acting career in films like Aadmi Khilona Hai.
Custody of their daughter became a point of contention following the split, with Mohsin initially gaining custody before Sanam eventually came to live with her mother in India, where she remains to this day.
No Regrets, Even Decades Later
What’s notable about Mohsin Khan’s recent comments is the complete absence of bitterness. Rather than dwelling on what went wrong, he’s chosen to focus on the choice itself — marrying someone for who they were rather than for fame or glamour — as something he stands by even now. He’s also spoken previously about his decision to remain in Pakistan following the divorce, describing it as central to his identity, despite years of living between two countries during his marriage.
It’s a rare kind of candour from a former sports star whose personal life became public property decades ago, and it offers a glimpse into how differently people can look back on relationships that once dominated tabloid headlines. For more throwback stories and celebrity interviews like this one, keep following our regular entertainment coverage.
This report is compiled from statements made by Mohsin Khan in recent interviews, along with past interviews given by Reena Roy, as covered by BBC Hindi and other entertainment media outlets.
