When it comes to Bollywood’s most beautiful and famous couples, the names of actor Riteish Deshmukh and his stunning wife Genelia D’Souza immediately come to mind. Although Riteish made his Bollywood debut in 2003 with the film Tujhe Meri Kasam, he gained more widespread fame with the film Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na alongside Imran Khan.
Soon after, Genelia D’Souza entered his life, and the couple tied the knot on February 3, 2012, beginning a new chapter together. It is often observed that many film industry couples continue their careers post-marriage.
However, Genelia chose to take a break from the limelight and focused entirely on her marital life. So today, let’s talk about this well-known actress and complete epitome of beauty — Genelia D’Souza — someone everyone wants to know more about.
Genelia D’Souza’s early life
It is said that Genelia D’Souza who was born in Mumbai, got her name by combining her parents’ names — Jeanette and Neil. She is lovingly called “Geno” by those close to her. Genelia was raised in Mumbai and identifies as a Mangalorean Catholic. Her mother tongue is Konkani.
She received her early education at Apostolic Carmel High School in Bandra, and later pursued higher education at St. Andrew’s College where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Management Studies. In addition to academic excellence, Genelia was a state-level athlete and a national-level football player.
Genelia’s showbiz career
Before stepping into the film industry, Genelia gained fame through several commercials. Her first brush with popularity came from a Parker Pen advertisement alongside Amitabh Bachchan. She also featured in an ad for Fair & Lovely.
These ads made her so well-known that renowned Tamil director Shankar was impressed by her performance and cast her in the lead role of his 2003 Tamil film Boys. This marked the official beginning of her acting career. The film was a box office hit and paved the way for her career in South Indian cinema.
After her debut in Tujhe Meri Kasam, she distanced herself from Bollywood for a while to focus entirely on Telugu cinema. This decision turned out to be in her favor, as she went on to act in several successful Telugu films like Satyam, Happy, Samba, and Sye. She also worked with actor Venkatesh in the film Subhash Chandra Bose.
After fulfilling her aspirations in the Tamil industry, she exited it post the film Sachien (opposite Vijay) which had average box office performance. Her second Hindi film was Masti, again with Riteish Deshmukh which had moderate success.
Moreover, she participated in Mani Ratnam’s stage show Netru, Indru, Naalai and later returned to Kollywood with Santosh Subramaniam, a remake of Bommarillu, which was just as successful as the original. Her first Kannada film Satya in Love earned 40 million rupees in its first week — setting a new record in the Kannada film industry.
Genelia’s return to Bollywood
After displaying her talent in Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam films, Genelia returned to Bollywood with the film Mere Baap Pehle Aap alongside Akshay Khanna, which met with moderate success. However, her real breakthrough in Bollywood came with Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na.
Her character in this film was highly appreciated especially for its innocence, freshness, and her unique acting style. Released on July 4, 2008, the film was a hit not just in India but also overseas.
Her other Bollywood films include Trial Period, Mister Mummy, It’s My Life, Force 2, Rock the Shaadi, Jai Ho, and more. She is soon expected to appear in Sitaare Zameen Par as an actress and in Raja Shivaji as a producer.
Genelia’s personal life
After achieving success in her career, Genelia D’Souza married Riteish Deshmukh on February 3, 2012, beginning a new chapter in life. Their wedding was held with traditional Maharashtrian Hindu rituals, followed by a Christian ceremony the next day.
The couple first met in 2003 on the sets of Tujhe Meri Kasam. What began as a friendship soon turned into a love story. They kept their relationship private and only made it public when they married in 2012.
The couple welcomed their first son on November 25, 2014 and their second son was born on June 1, 2016.
