Actor and entrepreneur Juhi Chawla is often counted among Bollywood’s wealthiest stars. While much of the discussion around her wealth revolves around her former stake in the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), the roots of the Mehta family’s fortune go back more than a century and are tied to a fascinating chapter in Gujarat’s history. According to the Hurun Rich List, her estimated net worth stands at around Rs 7,790 crore. Her husband, businessman Jay Mehta, is associated with the Mehta Group, a business empire reportedly worth nearly Rs 17,500 crore. Few know that Juhi Chawla’s inlaws had once loaned 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 Satishbhai Vithalani, chairman of the Lohana International Business Forum, the government even struggled to pay salaries in its early years.Speaking on Sagar Kathrotia’s podcast, Vithalani said, “Nanji Kalidas Mehta was originally from Porbandar. He struggled a lot before reaching Uganda and eventually built a vast business empire there, including sugar factories and several other businesses. After the separation of Gujarat and Maharashtra, the Gujarat government faced financial difficulties 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 thing.”Nanji Kalidas Mehta, the 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 sugar, cement, textiles, real estate, infrastructure and several other sectors across Africa and India.Today, that legacy is carried forward by the Mehta family, including Jay Mehta, whose business interests continue to span multiple industries.
