Priya Sachdev's first marriage: Why did Sanjay Kapur's widow get divorced from hotelier and former actor Vikram Chatwal?

Priya Sachdev-Kapur, who is currently at the centre of a heated legal battle over her late husband Sunjay Kapur’s Rs 30,000 crore estate, against his ex-wife Karisma Kapoor and her children, Samaira and Kiaan.

Priya got married to Sunjay in 2017, but long before that, her personal life had already made waves. Her first marriage to former actor and hotelier Vikram Chatwal was the talk of the town back then, and so was their divorce.

Who is Vikram Chatwal?

Vikram Chatwal was born on 1 November 1971 in Ethiopia. He went on to build his name in both business and entertainment. As reported by NDTV, after graduating from the Wharton School of Business in 1993, he briefly worked at Morgan Stanley before moving into his family’s hotel business. In 1999, he opened The Time Hotel, later expanding to five more luxury hotels under the Vikram Chatwal Hotels brand.


Chatwal has also enjoyed a stint in modelling, becoming the first Sikh model to appear in Vogue magazine, and explored acting with appearances in films such as ‘Zoolander’ and ‘Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd’.

Priya Sachdev and Vikram Chatwal’s wedding in 2006

Priya married Vikram Chatwal in 2006 in a grand wedding that reportedly went on for ten days and took place across three cities.Their grand celebrations were the perfect reflection of two high-profile lives coming together. The couple welcomed their daughter, Safira, in 2007. But behind the glamour, cracks in the marriage had already started to appear.

Why did Priya Sachdev and Vikram Chatwal part ways?

Appearing on the YouTube show Kin and Kindness, Priya Kapur shared her personal story. She spoke openly about why her relationship with Vikram Chatwal could not last. Priya revealed, “My ex-husband ticked all the boxes... He went to Wharton, worked at Morgan Stanley. I did mathematics at UCLA, a double major with UCLA and LSE... So I thought this is a perfect match.”

“You know, how you do your career path, but it doesn't always work. I thought I had it all right... But I guess I chose wrong,” she further said.

Priya admitted that during her pregnancy, she realised something was wrong, “When I had her (Safira) and I realised, a few 15 to 20 weeks into my pregnancy, I realised this marriage is not right. But I still continued to make this work,” she recalled.

Custody battle over daughter Safira

By 2011, Priya and Vikram decided to part ways. Reflecting on the breakdown, Priya said, “My ex-in-laws called me apologising... I wasn't valued or appreciated for the sacrifices I made. That was one victory.” The separation led to a custody battle over their daughter Safira, which eventually ended with Priya gaining full custody.

Will Priya Kapur’s daughter, Safira get a place in Sunjay Kapur's inheritance?

It has been reported that Sunjay Kapur adopted Safira after marrying Priya in 2017. This would make her a legal heir to his Rs 30,000 crore estate. However, if Safira was legally adopted by Sunjay, she may no longer be entitled to inherit from her biological father, Vikram Chatwal.


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