We’ve often seen co-stars develop feelings for each other, but they don’t always make it beyond the show. However, for Ghum Hai Kisikey Pyaar Meiin co-stars, Neil Bhatt and Aishwarya Sharma, there was no looking back. Not only did the duo surprise everyone when they shared the news of their roka on social media, but they also had everyone in awe with how they started their relationship on a solid note.
As actors, they’ve maintained their individuality, but as a couple, they’ve always had each other’s backs. As a part of iDiva’s Free Love campaign, Neil and Aishwarya spoke to us about all things love, fame, marriage, and beyond. Let’s get right into it!
The beginning of Neil Bhatt & Aishwarya Sharma’s relationship
Credits: Instagram/aisharma812
It was indeed a sweet surprise for fans when the couple first got together and announced their roka. Talking about how it all started, Neil tells us, “Well, we were doing Ghum Hai Kisikey Pyaar Meiin, so we met during the mock shoot and then later on, you can say that I started having feelings… not feelings, but I started liking her and thinking of her as a prospect when we met for the contract signing. So, I started thinking of her in that zone… that I like her.”
He further adds, “When I came home, I told my mom that the meeting was good and that she was also good. Mom said, ‘Okay, who?’ Then I said, the girl I did the mock shoot with. And then mom did her whole research… as a mother (laughs). And then, she found out that she’s a dancer, an engineer, and this and that. She told me, ‘If you like her, go ahead.’ I went ahead with this feeling, and later on while shooting, Aishwarya also…”
Aishwarya chimes in and remarks how he started hitting on her. She says, “He started hitting on me and that’s why I developed feelings for him. He started giving me signals.”
Neil, wanting to make things clearer, says, “And then at a point of time, when she felt that there’s something between us, she reached out. She wanted to confirm whether there were feelings and if they were mutual or not.”
Aishwarya further emphasises how Neil said no, but he jokingly mentions how this is something they always argue about. Since the show had just started and it was important for both of their careers, Neil told Aishwarya that they should concentrate on that because he was not looking for a temporary relationship and wanted to see how the show works out and then figure out what they wanted to do.
Well, Aishwarya definitely took this for a no, though!
Credits: Instagram/aisharma812
Neil then adds, “In some days, I also, kind of, directly asked her for marriage, and the date was October 18th, 2020. We were working on a show… a romantic show and the beginning of our characters, Virat and Pakhi, was in a very romantic zone. So, yes, we got to spend a lot of time together on the set but it was never because of that. It was always in our minds that anything that happens between us has to be beyond the show. That was the first conversation that we had once we confessed our feelings to each other.”
Aishwarya highlights how they weren’t together on the show after the first month and so, their on-screen chemistry was mostly fighting, and it was a whole different story off-screen. She says, “We made sure that it’s never related to the on-screen thing. It has to be beyond the show if this is something, forever.”
Navigating relationship dynamics and the journey to marriage
Credits: Instagram/aisharma812
The couple tied the knot on November 30, 2021, and recently completed two years of marriage. While everything happened too soon for them, they’ve had their share of trolling from netizens. However, they dealt with it in their way, focusing on each other and not what the world had to say.
Aishwarya also speaks about the trolling that comes their way. She says, “Trolling is like a part of my life. Every day I read my comments, I find someone who’s trolling me. So, it’s normal for me nowadays. It doesn’t affect me anymore. Sometimes it does. but, yeah, not anymore. Neil is with me, he’s my support system, he is standing with me all the time, and he makes me understand that this happens and it’s a normal thing. These people are no one, these are faceless people. So, yeah, he’s there with me.”
Neil asserts, “We both keep getting trolled and more so, Aishwarya. I don’t pay much attention to these things. I feel I don’t need to answer these trolls because they keep writing something or the other. I answered them at some point when it felt necessary. I said what I had to say. But I don’t usually like to pay attention to these things.”
He further adds, “I am more concerned with the person I’m living with and the people I’m living with. So, for me, Aishwarya’s mental health and her happiness matter. If this thing is affecting her, then I’m there for my wife. I know I don’t need to pay attention to people who are making veiled attacks on us because it’s a cowardly act. It’s not like anyone is saying anything in real life, because wherever we go, there hasn’t been any interaction where something has gone wrong.”
Neil also speaks about how they got married pretty early, while also questioning if there’s any barometer for how long two people should know each other before getting married.
He says, “I’ve seen people be together for 8-10 years in a relationship and then get married. Then after that, the relationship breaks. I’ve also seen people get married after two days of knowing each other and sometimes, that doesn’t work either. That’s why I’m saying there’s no barometer to know what the actual method is to get married and how much time is enough to know each other.
True, indeed! It is the two people in love who decide on when to marry!
Credits: Instagram/aisharma812
Aishwarya further goes on to reveal how Neil never wanted to date and neither did she. They wanted to make sure that the time they spend together isn’t temporary and it should be a fulfilling experience for both of them, leading to a permanent step.
They had full support from their families, and despite their tight schedules, they managed to coordinate everything ahead of their marriage through video calls and phones. The two got married in Aishwarya’s hometown, Mahitpur.
Interestingly, Aishwarya designed her own lehenga! It was a blend of Gujarati panetar and bandhani designs, and therefore, she had to run here and there for it. Of course, Neil’s mother and sister were with her through it. There was a lot of chaos when it came to their outfits, but as Aishwarya says, “Sab hote-hote ho gaya.” Neil, being the adorable husband he is, also adds, “Aise hi hota hai. Jab jo hona hota hai na, ho jata hai.”
Maintaining individuality in the industry and working together
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The two have always kept their opinions and individuality intact. As artists, there’s a lot that goes around, and it is important to have such things sorted. They’ve been co-stars and are partners now—and it’s a journey they’ve built together.
Talking about the same, Neil says, “We know we are artists, but the very fact that we entered the industry at different times, we already have our individuality intact. We didn’t enter this industry together. So, we have our individual spaces as artists. She has her choice of doing what she wants to do, I have mine. So, we don’t try to overlap these things. Yes, we get to work together and it’s amazing, but that’s not the only criterion. We are looking forward to working with everybody. And if we get the chance to work together, we’ll be more than happy to do that.
They believe in the agree-to-disagree mantra, but they always hear each other out. Since they are pretty opposite to each other, it is generally the best way to go, and well, love wins all, after all!
Aishwarya says, “It’s very rare that we both stand on one point. In the Bigg Boss house, for example, during the early episodes, we were on the same page and we were not fighting. We were surprised that we weren’t fighting then.”
She also mentions how it was later that they fought but well, those weren’t over significant matters, which is indeed normal.
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Talking about one particular fight that was blown out of proportion outside the house, they say, “We are a couple. It happens. It’s a normal thing. It was blown out of proportion. It was a very stupid thing. We hid the coffee and we had to return it… it was a stupid reason. There are agreements and there are disagreements, and we try to make sure that there is a middle path. Sometimes as a normal couple, there is a fight and there is a lot of love other times, so it is a balanced thing.”
They feel fortunate enough to have work opportunities together, and that includes shows like Smart Jodi and Bigg Boss 17, and they love working with each other.
Neil says, “Smart Jodi happens to be a couple show, while Bigg Boss wasn’t a couple show and it was offered individually first to Aishwarya and then to me. The prospect of us being together in the show was also lucrative for us in that sense. It was attractive for us. It was good that we would be able to go together to the show.”
Aishwarya, meanwhile, feels that couples shouldn’t enter the show together, while Neil is of the opposite opinion. He feels that while it is a double-edged sword, anything can happen. If two people genuinely believe in each other, one can find a way out and get to know each other well.
The work-life balance and their future plans
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Interestingly, they had talked about their work and relationship earlier. They reveal their conversation with each other, “When we were getting into a relationship, we told each other that we have to make sure that it will not affect our professional lives in any way.”
They were clear on the fact that their relationship should not affect anything because there’s the show, and then there is them, and because they met on the show, it will always be a priority.
While they both like to plan things, they do try to go with the flow, in both their personal and professional lives. On a closing note, the duo say, “We go with the flow. We are enjoying the moment. We travel, we work, and we have our moments, and we guess that’s the way…”
Social and lead image credits: Instagram/aisharma812
