Neelam Kothari breaks down in tears as she talks about her divorce from Rishi Sethia: 'She was told to wear Indian clothes and avoid non-veg' | Web series

Neelam Kothari opened up about her divorce from ex-husband Rishi Sethia for the first time in a new episode of Fabulous Lives Vs Bollywood Wives. In the episode, she was seen in conversation with producer Ekta Kapoor where she shared how she felt when she heard that her daughter had found out details about her first marriage and divorce online. (Also Read: Maheep Kapoor shares how Shanaya Kapoor was affected by Sridevi and Mona's death: 'She was scared when I woke up in the ICU')

What Neelam said

In the episode, Neelam said, “I came from work and Ahana was with her friends. Usually they are always jumping around, screaming and shouting. But this time there was absolute silence. Ahana came to me and said, “Mom, you never told me you were divorced.” I just died. I was at a loss. I was at a loss for words. I said to Ahana, “First of all, how do you know?” She said, “You're a celebrity, so my friends and I googled you.” The first thing that came up was that you were divorced. You were married.”

Neelam about her divorce

While talking about her first marriage, Neelam broke down in tears as she revealed that she was not okay with changing so many things about her identity. She added, “I was told to wear Indian clothes, avoid non-veg and alcohol. I was fine with everything. I was also asked to change my name and I did. A lot of people do that. But change my identity? I didn't agree with that. I reached a point where I asked myself, “How do I let this happen?” There were several times when I was in a supermarket or having lunch and someone came up to me and asked, “Are you Neelam, the actress?” And I had to say, 'No, I'm not Neelam.'”

Neelam, who rose to fame in the 1980s and 90s, made a comeback of sorts in Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives. In October 2000, Neelam married London-based Rishi Sethia, the son of industrialist Nirmal Sethia, only to legally separate shortly afterwards. Neelam found love again in Samir Soni and married in 2011. In 2013, they adopted a daughter named Ahana.