Top Actresses who left Bollywood after Marriage

In Hollywood it is common for married actresses to be successful, but in Bollywood, the tides are yet to change. With Bollywood blooming to the surface with marital vows this year, it seems like finally our actresses no longer see the 'married' tag to be detrimental to their careers. 

However, tinsel-town has had its share of actresses who bid goodbye to films after marriage. Some were even at the peak of their career graph. Let’s have a look at such actresses who left the film-industry to happily adopt the role of a homemaker. Read Exclusive Bollywood Love Stories: Bollywood beauties who Fantasy Married Men
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Neetu Singh

She started her career as a child artist and went to work in many Bollywood films as a lead actress. Neetu Singh was 14 when she started dating Rishi Kapoor and at the age of 21 she tied the knot with him. Their wedding was the biggest and the most awaited extravaganza of the tinsel town at that time. Post-marriage Neetu retired from the films.
In her own words “I wanted to devote all my life to my family.” 
Saira Bano

She was an ultimate diva whose one sight would take any heart away. Saira Bano, was an established actress but she happily gave up the arc lights to revel in her role as a wife and a homemaker. She was 22 when she married her dream man, the legendary actor Dilip Kumar in 1966. She decided not to work after marriage as she thought their marriage might not work due to Dilip Kumar’s constant travelling for shoots.
In her own words- “I have no regrets of not doing too many films post my marriage.”
Meenakshi Sheshadri

She was Bollywood box office gold in the late ‘80s, ruling the roost with films like Hero, Ghayal and Damini. Meenakshi was not just drop dead gorgeous but also a legitimate actress. Her last film was Rajkumar Santoshi's Ghatak opposite Sunny Deol.
Thereafter she married the investment banker Harish Mysore and said goodbye to the glamour world forever. She moved to USA where she now lives with her husband and two kids. A gifted dancer, Meenakshi now teaches various forms of Indian classical dances to students in Sugarland, Texas.
Sonali Bendre

Her early claim to fame was with an item song humma humma in film 'Bombay'. In her filmy- career Sonali has worked with all the Khans in Bollywood, however, as an actress her popularity quotient could never get an inch closer to these biggies.
She married film actor-director Goldie Behl on 12 November, 2002 and left the film industry. After marriage Sonali was seen just once on silver screen in 2003, doing a special appearance in ‘Kal Ho Na Ho’. The actress is making her comeback with the film ‘Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai 2’ which in Sonali’s words will probably be the last time we will ever see her again on 70mm screen.
Bhagyashri

Ask a guy who was in his teens in the late 90s about her and you will get one reply- Oh! she was just perfect! The gorgeous diva made her debut in ‘Maine Pyaar Kiya’ opposite Salman Khan. The film was a huge success and her character ‘Suman’ became the ideal girl for the youth in India. However she broke her fans’ hearts, when she married actor Himalaya at the age of 19.
In her words “I sacrificed for the person I love the most.”
Gayatri Joshi

Gayatri Joshi had the perfect Indian looks and decent acting skills to be the next big thing in Bollywood. However, the beautiful girl in Swades opposite Shahrukh Khan also left movies after marriage.She married Vikas Oberoi, the Managing Director of Oberoi constructions in 2005 and now has two sons.
Twinkle Khanna

Another actress who despite working with all the leading Khans of Bollywood could not really make her mark as an actress. Her last film was ‘Love Ke Liye Kuchh Bhi Karega’. In 2001, she married her beau Akshay Kumar and left the film industry. She is now an interior designer.