The glamorous world of Bollywood has captivated many, but not all can withstand its pressures. One actress, who debuted with a film produced by Salman Khan’s production house, chose to leave the limelight for motherhood. With a handful of films under her belt, she prioritized love and family over her acting career. Interestingly, her life partner is a successful Indian cricketer, and together they’ve embarked on a new chapter in their lives, focusing on their family.
Bollywood loves to favor dreamers, but not everyone is keen on remaining in the limelight. Take Athiya Shetty, for example. She’s Suniel Shetty’s daughter, and though she came to the film industry with much fanfare, eventually she chose to step away from acting to concentrate on love, family, and now, motherhood.
A Starry Beginning That Did Not Soar
On November 5, 1992, Athiya was born into a family with strong roots in the world of cinema. She studied at the American School of Bombay and the Cathedral and John Connon School before training in acting at the New York Film Academy. Athiya entered the world of Bollywood in 2015 in the movie Hero, which she shared with Sooraj Pancholi. Written and directed by Nikkhil Advani and produced under Salman Khan Films, the film was intended to kick-start her acting career but ended up tanking at the box office.
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Short Acting Career and Low-Key Exit
Then came Mubarakan (2017), which was met with mixed feedback but failed to do well commercially. She also had a special appearance in Nawabzaade and acted along with Nawazuddin Siddiqui in Motichoor Chaknachoor (2019). Then she opted out of working from the industry, although there were still offers pouring in.
In a conversation with Zoom, her father Suniel Shetty shared, “She said, ‘Baba, I don’t want to,’ and she just left. That’s what I admire about her. She was clear: ‘I’m not interested. I’m comfortable.'”
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A New Chapter: Family Life with KL Rahul
In 2023, Athiya married Indian cricketer KL Rahul after dating for years. They just welcomed their first child, baby girl Evaarah. Athiya doesn’t have any concrete plans to return to acting right now, but fans are eager to know if she may venture into other avenues in the future beyond Bollywood.
