Soon after the death of Sanjay Kapoor, the real truth of his third wife Priya Sachdev came out, you will be shocked to hear it!

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The Unexpected Rise of Priya Sachdeva: Inside Sanjay Kapoor’s Third Wife and His ₹31,000 Crore Empire

By [Your Name] | New Delhi, June 22, 2025

When industrialist and Bollywood scion Sanjay Kapoor passed away suddenly on June 12, 2025, the spotlight immediately fell on those closest to him. Much has been written about his ex-wife Karisma Kapoor’s poignant role at his funeral rites, and his eldest daughter Samaira’s inheritance drama. But equally compelling is the story of his third wife, Priya Sachdeva—a glamorous model-turned-businesswoman whose meteoric rise from Delhi debutante to corporate director has culminated in her stewardship of a personal fortune estimated at over ₹1,300 crore and a company valuation near ₹31,000 crore. Here is the real story behind the woman who overnight became the key figure in one of India’s richest family sagas.

Sanjay Kapoor’s Triad of Marriages: A Brief Overview

Sanjay Kapoor, who died of a heart attack in London at age 51, was married three times:

First marriage (2001–2005): Sanjay wed socialite Nandini Mehtani. Their union ended in an amicable divorce, with little public spectacle.
Second marriage (2003–2014): He married actress Karisma Kapoor, a union that produced two children—Samaira (b. 2005) and Kiyan (b. 2018). The couple divorced amid mutual estrangement, but later reunited publicly for family occasions.
Third marriage (2017–2025): Sanjay’s final wife, Priya Sachdeva, was his companion at the time of death. Priya and Sanjay share a six-year-old son, Azarius.

Among these relationships, only Priya was legally his spouse when he died, instantly making her the presumed heiress to his personal and corporate holdings. Yet Priya’s backstory is far richer than that titular role suggests.

From Delhi Roots to Global Ambitions

Early Life and Education

Birthplace: Delhi, into an affluent business family.
Parents: Father Ashok Sachdeva, a well-known car dealer; mother a homemaker with philanthropic interests.
Education:

Bachelor’s in Business Management from the prestigious London School of Economics.
Internships at leading investment banks in London, where she cultivated financial acumen and global contacts.

Modelling and Bollywood Foray

After returning to India, Priya leveraged her striking looks and polished bearing to launch a modelling career:

Ads and Music Videos: Notably appeared alongside Kareena Kapoor in a high-profile Lux Body Wash campaign.
Film Debut: Made a cameo in the romantic comedy “Neil & Nikki” (2005), directed by Arjun Sablok. Though her role was minor, the film’s youth-oriented appeal brought her sudden media attention.
Social Media Presence: Maintained a stylish Instagram feed—travel diaries, fashion shoots, and glimpses of high-society events—until mid-2023, when she went radio-silent.

First Matrimonial Chapter: Marriage to Vikram Chatwal

In 2006, Priya married Vikram Chatwal, an Indo-Canadian hotelier and actor:

Background: Vikram was born to a Sikh family from Punjab, raised partly in Ethiopia and Canada before returning to India to launch a boutique hotel chain.
Union: Their wedding was a lavish affair blending Sikh and Hindu rites, covered extensively by the media.
Offspring: A daughter, Safira Chatwal, born in 2008.
Separation: The couple divorced amicably in 2011, attributing irreconcilable differences to divergent career paths. Priya retained primary custody of Safira.

That marriage introduced Priya to the intricacies of family-run enterprises and high-stakes hospitality, setting the stage for her next act.

The Meeting and Marriage to Sanjay Kapoor

Crossing Paths in Mumbai

First Encounter: 2016, at a charity gala hosted by a mutual friend. Priya, already well-known in social circuits, impressed Sanjay with her poise and business savvy.
Courtship: Over the next year, they were spotted together at film festivals, polo matches in London, and yacht parties in the Mediterranean.
Wedding: January 2017, a sunlit affair at Jaipur’s Umaid Bhawan palace—an intimate guest list of Bollywood heavyweights and Delhi elite.

Blending Families

Role: Priya became step-mother to Samaira and Kiyan. Friends say she cultivated a close bond with both, even as public scrutiny questioned her position.
Birth of Azarius: In late 2018, Priya gave birth to her and Sanjay’s son, Azarius, cementing her role as matriarch of the Kapoor household.

Inside Priya’s Corporate Portfolio

Long before Sanjay’s sudden death thrust her into the limelight, Priya was carving a niche as a savvy entrepreneur and executive.

Sachdeva Group (TSG Automotive)

Position: Director of Corporate Communications at TSG Automotive, her family’s flagship car dealership and parts-manufacturing conglomerate.
Contributions:

Rebranded the company’s image across social media.
Negotiated distribution partnerships with European component manufacturers.
Championed a women-in-STEM initiative, funding scholarships for automotive engineering students.

Fashion Boutiques and Lifestyle Ventures

Retail: Owner of two Delhi-NCR fashion boutiques showcasing emerging Indian designers.
Travel Projects: Co-founded a luxury travel consultancy specializing in curated Indian cultural tours for global clientele.
Philanthropy: Established the Sachdeva Family Foundation, funding education and women’s vocational training programs in rural Haryana.

The Estate at Stake: ₹31,000 Crore Empire

When Sanjay Kapoor died, his multifaceted holdings included:

Sona Comstar: An automotive parts giant chaired by Sanjay, valued at over ₹12,000 crore.
Real Estate: Luxury properties in London, Mumbai, and Goa—totaling an estimated ₹8,000 crore.
Film Production: Multiple production banners with ongoing projects and back catalogs worth ₹3,500 crore.
Hospitality: Stakes in boutique hotels in Jaipur and the Maldives, valued at ₹2,500 crore.
Tech Investments: Minority holdings in three Bengaluru-based start-ups, approximated at ₹5,000 crore.

Under Indian and British probate norms, as the surviving spouse, Priya Sachdeva stands to wield primary control over her late husband’s personal assets. However, several complexities cloud the path ahead:

Children’s Rights: Sanjay’s 20-year-old daughter Samaira—legally an adult—may assert a claim to her father’s shares under a will that reportedly favors her. Seven-year-old Azarius and older half-brother Kiyan also have entitlements under succession laws.
Ex-Wives and Settlements: Karisma Kapoor, while divorced, retains moral standing as mother of two heirs. First wife Nandini Mehtani has no ongoing claim.
Sisterly Oversight: Sanjay’s sisters—media editor Suparna Kapoor Motwane and entrepreneur Mandira Kapoor Koirala—are being mooted as board appointees to preserve family influence.

Public Persona and Media Narrative

Glamour and Discretion

Priya’s carefully curated public image combined high fashion with philanthropic chic.
Since 2023, her social media silence fueled speculation about a strategic pivot toward privacy and family.

Journalism and Gossip Columns

Tabloids alternately cast her as:

Gold digger: Critics who derided her as opportunistic.
Corporate queen: Admirers who praised her boardroom contributions.
Steady matriarch: Observers struck by her calm presence at family events.

Priya at Sanjay’s Funeral: The Unspoken Reality

In the shock following Sanjay’s death, Priya’s fragility was evident:

Emotional Toll: Relatives report she was too distraught to participate actively in the cremation rites.
Behind the Scenes: While Karisma Kapoor officiated the ceremony, Priya remained seated—a woman overwhelmed by grief rather than ceremonial duty.

Yet privately, sources confirm Priya was concurrently:

Overseeing logistical details for the memorial service at Delhi’s Taj Hotel.
Consulting legal counsel in London and Mumbai to initiate probate proceedings.
Communicating with banking and corporate partners to ensure no disruption to daily operations.

Potential Legal and Family Contestations

With high stakes come inevitable disputes:

Probate Litigation

Priya is expected to file for probate in both England and India.
Samaira and Karisma may seek to intervene if a will is produced favoring the daughter exclusively.

Guardian and Trustee Appointments

Azarius and Kiyan require court-appointed guardians to manage trusts until they reach adulthood or maturity.

Boardroom Realignments

Mandira and Suparna Kapoor may lobby for formal board seats at Sona Comstar, pressuring Priya to share control.

Family Settlement Talks

Insiders predict Karisma and Priya could negotiate a private accord: Priya retains operational control, Karisma ensures her children’s financial security.

Looking Ahead: Priya’s Path as Matriarch and CEO

Challenges

Balancing emotional recovery with corporate governance across continents.
Managing public perception as both a grieving widow and a hard-nosed executive.
Upholding her father’s legacy in TSG Automotive while integrating Sanjay’s empire.

Opportunities

Consolidating automotive interests by leveraging cross-promotional synergies between TSG and Sona Comstar.
Expanding her fashion boutiques into pan-Asian retail chains.
Institutionalizing the Sachdeva Family Foundation to cement her philanthropic footprint.

Defining Her Legacy

More than a celebrity widow, Priya Sachdeva embodies a new archetype in Indian business and society: a woman who navigates multiple identities—model, actress, banker, corporate director, mother, and grieving spouse—with equal resolve. Her decisions in the coming months will not only shape the future of a ₹31,000 crore empire but also influence cultural attitudes about women’s roles in family succession and boardrooms alike.

Conclusion: Reinvention Under the Spotlight

As the dust settles on Sanjay Kapoor’s untimely passing, the real story is not just about inheritance figures or courtroom battles. It is about Priya Sachdeva—a woman who, through intelligence, education, and resilience, rose to prominence long before her association with the Kapoor name. Whether she emerges as the undisputed steward of one of India’s greatest private fortunes or navigates a shared custodianship with her late husband’s children and relatives, Priya’s journey underscores a broader narrative: the evolving role of women in preserving and growing family legacies in 21st-century India.

In the weeks ahead, the nation will watch closely as boardroom meetings convene, legal petitions are filed, and family dynamics are renegotiated. Through it all, Priya’s composed poise—honed over years in the glare of fashion runways and deal-making tables—will be her greatest asset. For a figure once known for glossy magazine spreads, her latest portrait is already being sketched in boardroom minutes, trust agreements, and the quiet resolve of a woman determined to chart her own destiny amid inherited power.

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