Secret wedding allegation involving Varma and Urmila resurfaces

MUMBAI: Fresh claims about the past relationship between filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma and actress Urmila Matondkar have resurfaced after a veteran entertainment journalist alleged the pair secretly married during the 1990s.

According to Indian media reports, senior journalist Jyothi Venkatesh made the claim during an interview on a YouTube channel, saying he first heard about the alleged marriage from actor Chiranjeevi while visiting the set of the film Gentleman.

Venkatesh claimed Chiranjeevi told him the couple had married at a temple in Andhra Pradesh and even provided the contact details of the priest who allegedly conducted the ceremony. However, the journalist said he sought confirmation before publishing the story.

According to Venkatesh, Matondkar became emotional when contacted and urged him not to publish the claim. He also said Varma declined to comment when approached for his response.

The journalist further alleged that the relationship ended because Matondkar wanted the marriage to be legally formalized, while Varma was not prepared to do so at the time.

Neither Varma nor Matondkar has publicly confirmed the allegations, and the claims remain unverified. The pair previously collaborated on several successful films, including Rangeela, Daud, Satya and Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya.