Ameesha Patel, who rose to overnight stardom with Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai and Gadar, has remained single despite being one of Bollywood’s most sought-after stars in the early 2000s. In a recent interview, the actress revealed that marriage was never a set milestone for her. She explained that she wanted to establish her own identity before tying herself to someone else’s.“I never used to chase boys in school; they used to do that,” Ameesha shared with Ranveer Allahbadia, adding that she has received numerous proposals over the years. However, many of the men she met wanted her to give up her career after marriage — something she could never agree to. “I wanted to become Ameesha Patel first, because I had already spent so much of my life being someone’s daughter, and I didn’t want to spend my adulthood as just someone’s wife,” she said.
Choosing career over love
The actress admitted that while her career was always her top priority, she did make sacrifices for love — and vice versa. She recalled one serious relationship before she entered films, with a partner from a prominent South Bombay industrial family, much like her own. Everything “ticked all the boxes,” she said, but when she decided to pursue acting, her partner didn’t want someone in the public eye. Ameesha ultimately chose her career over the relationship, acknowledging that she has “lost a lot for career and lost a lot for love” but has also learned from both.
Open to marriage today
Despite the heartbreaks and the societal expectations that she should have quit work, Ameesha still hasn’t closed the door on marriage. She said she is open to it, as long as she finds the right partner. “I am all up for marriage, as long as I find someone worthy. They say, ‘Where there is a will, there is a way,’ so the person who finds me through everything and mauke par chauka maar lega will be my person,” she said with a laugh.She added that proposals continue to come her way — even from people half her age. While she doesn’t mind the age gap, maturity remains non-negotiable. “I still get all kinds of proposals from a lot of well-to-do families. People half my age want to take me out on a date, and I am open to it because a man has to be mentally mature. I have met a lot of people older than me that have the IQ of a fly,” Ameesha quipped.
