Mumbai:
A surprising revelation about Indian tech entrepreneur and Hotmail founder Sabeer Bhatia has resurfaced — he once expressed his desire to marry Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai, leading to an unexpected and rather amusing encounter with superstar Salman Khan.
According to Indian media reports, the incident took place in 2001 during a high-profile party where Sabeer Bhatia attended with television host Simi Garewal. At that time, Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai were rumored to be dating and were frequently in the headlines.
During the event, Salman reportedly approached Bhatia and said jokingly,
“So you’re the one who wants to marry Aish?”
Bhatia smiled and dismissed it as just a rumor. Salman, however, added with a grin,
“She’s a wonderful girl.”
The report further claims that at one point during the party, Salman Khan’s lit cigarette accidentally touched Bhatia’s hand. With his trademark wit, Salman remarked,
“Finally, you got ashes (‘Raakh’) on your hands!” — a playful pun referencing Aishwarya’s name.
It is worth noting that Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai’s relationship eventually ended on a bitter note. Sabeer Bhatia, on the other hand, married Tanya Sharma in 2008, though the couple divorced in 2013.
Bhatia, who launched Hotmail in 1996, created the world’s first web-based email service. Just a year later, Microsoft acquired Hotmail for $400 million, making him one of the most recognized Indian tech pioneers globally.
