In Love Story, Vijayta Pandit and Kumar Gaurav star-crossed lovers and life imitated art. Vijayta shared that while they were shooting, their bond grew stronger and soon turned into a relationship. After the film was a huge success, she turned down several film offers, choosing to focus on her personal life with Kumar Gaurav. However, their love story did not have a fairy tale ending.In Leh’s past interview with Retro, Vijayta re-examined her relationship with Kumar Gaurav during the making of Love Story, revealing how their off-screen romance blossomed amid growing family opposition.
‘We fell in love… and everyone could see it’
Talking about their time on the sets, Vijayta said that their bond emerged quite quickly.“We were filming together… and we fell in love. Rajendra Kumar he felt it and was very against it,” he said.He recalled that his disapproval was direct and often terrifying.“He would get very angry… he would say, ‘If you fall in love at this stage, what will happen to your career? I’ll find you a well-established girl’. I would hear all that and get very scared,” he admitted.Despite the pressure, the relationship continued.“We fell in love…the heart doesn’t listen. It was my first love,” said Vijayta, emphasizing how emotionally involved she was.While the film became a hit, their personal life became complicated.
Engagement shock: ‘Such a big diamond ring…’
In between, Kumar Gaurav was married to Reema Kapoor’s daughter Raj Kapoor.Vijayta revealed that she went for the engagement.“I went away happy… but when I saw that big diamond ring, I told him it’s beautiful, and he got angry: ‘If you like it, throw it away!'” he recalled.He added that even those around him can sense the depth of their relationship.“Reena Roy told my sister that there is a lot of love between them,” he said.
‘I am disabled… but I will marry Vijayta’
Even after the engagement, Kumar Gaurav reportedly continued to meet her.“The mother asked him: ‘You are disabled, why do you come here?’ and she said, ‘Yes, I am engaged, but I am going to marry Vijayta,’” she stated.He also said he swore by his mother’s prayer beads.“If I get married, I will marry Vijayta, otherwise I won’t get married at all… this is true,” she said.
Family tensions and falls
However, things did not work out. Vijayta said he had no role in her broken engagement. Kumar Gaurav later married Namrata Dutt.His father, Rajendra Kumar, after working together with Sunil Dutt and Nargis in Mother Indian, was keen to get his son married into a famous film family.Vijayta also alleged that the relationship affected her career.“Rajendra Kumar took me out of the films…producers would say our pairing was a success but he would insist that the films were executed because he is the hero,” she said.
Life after Love Story
Although the couple never recreated the success of Love Story together, Vijayta moved on and later married a music composer. Aadesh Shrivastava.She also belongs to a famous musical family, being the sister of composer duo Jatin-Lalit, known for iconic albums like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander.
“People want to see us together again”
In retrospect, Vijayta feels that the audience wanted to see them reunite on screen.“If we had continued to work together … people would have wanted to see us again. That yearning remained,” he said, calling the chapter “past” but one that continues to resonate with fans.
