Actor and entrepreneur Juhi Chawla Often counted among the richest stars of Bollywood. While much of the discussion surrounding his wealth revolves around his former partnership with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), the roots of the Mehta family fortune go back more than a century and are tied to an interesting chapter in Gujarat’s history. According to the Hurun Rich List, his estimated net worth is around Rs 7,790 crore. Her husband, businessman J Mehta, is associated with the Mehta Group, a business empire worth around Rs 17,500 crore. Few know that Juhi Chawla’s in-laws once lent money to the Gujarat government. Few know that after Gujarat was carved out of the erstwhile Bombay state in 1960, the newly formed state reportedly faced a severe financial crisis. According to Sathishbhai Bithalani, chairman of the Lohana International Business Forum, the government even struggled to pay salaries in its early years.Speaking on Sagar Kathrotia’s podcast, Bithalani said, “Nanji Kalidas Mehta was originally from there. Porbandar. He struggled a lot before reaching Uganda and eventually built a vast business empire there, which included a sugar factory and several other businesses. After the separation of Gujarat and Maharashtra, the Gujarat government faced financial problems in its early years.”He further claimed, “There was a payment crisis, and as far as we know, the government borrowed money from Nanji Kalidas Mehta to meet its liabilities. This is a very big issue.”Nanji Kalidas Mehta, grandfather of Juhi Chawla’s husband Jay Mehta, was born in Porbandar and moved to East Africa at the age of 13. Starting with small jobs, he gradually built a business empire spanning across Africa and India in sugar, cement, textiles, real estate, infrastructure and various other sectors.Today, that legacy is carried on by the Mehta family, including Jai Mehta, whose business interests span multiple industries.
