Amruta Khanvilkar and Himmanshoo Malhotra were both part of Zee Cinestars Ki Khoj in 2004. She was 17, he was 19. And apart from their love of the arc lights, Himmanshoo and Amruta discovered they quite liked each other. Since then, the couple has been inseparable and finally tied the knot in January this year. Currently seen on the dance reality show Nach Baliye, Amruta and Himmanshoo sat down for a chat with us about how they fell in love and more.
Amruta, you’re considered the chatty one among the two of you, while Himmanshoo is considered the quiet one was it a case of opposites attract?
Amruta: Not exactly. We met 10 years ago, and back then, Himmanshoo was very “hyper”. It’s over a period of time that he has become so calm. We were friends at that time, he’d keep asking me questions that I’d respond to. And that’s how it all started.
Himmanshoo: We met while participating in Cinestars Ki Khoj. She was chatty and I was shy. But we shared these common traits — transparency and honesty. Every relationship should have some common ground (to build on).
What are the qualities you admire in each other, and what would you like to change?
Amruta: Himmanshoo is very calm. His beliefs and positivity are what attract me. I don’t want to change him one bit.
Himmanshoo: Amruta is talented and understanding. She has made her own identity. Her family and I are very proud of her. I don’t want her to change at all. I just want her to know that she becomes very irritable if she doesn’t get food on time.
Coming from different cultural backgrounds, did you have to work hard to convince your parents to agree to your marriage?
Himmanshoo: It was easy as neither of our families opposed the match. My own parents had a love marriage, and they’ve always believed that as long as your partner is nice, nothing else matters. When we met for CKK, she was 17, and I was 19, and we’ve been together since then. Our parents thought that 11 years of patience showed how mature our relationship was. Besides, Amruta has never referred to my parents as “Aunty” or “Uncle”, it has always been “Mom” and “Dad”.
Amruta: There were no cultural clashes at all. Our parents were very open-minded.
Tell us about the proposal and how you’ll decided that you were perfect for each other?
Himmanshoo: The initial proposal had been from my side. She took her own time because she comes from a conservative family and had some doubts. I don’t blame her, we were too young. But the marriage was decided by our families.
Amruta: I wouldn’t say we were “perfect” — we complete each other. When we started dating, neither of us knew when we’d get married. We have accepted each other the way we are.
Any traditions in each other’s families that surprised you?
Himmanshoo: We are enjoying the perks of marrying into different cultures. I now celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi, which I never used to do before. On the other hand, Amruta also enjoys visiting the Golden Temple. It’s all about taking the first step.
Amruta: Everyone was very cool about our marriage. I was happy to wear a lehenga of my mother-in-law’s choice. I didn’t make demands about the wedding being in Mumbai or in Maharashtrian style. If I didn’t know something, they (my in-laws) were happy to teach me, and I was happy to learn.
Tell us something about each other that fans wouldn’t know?
Amruta: Himmanshoo is a completely different person when he is with me. Most people have seen only his good side, but I have seen both. Whenever he gets angry, I try my best to make him happy.
Himmanshoo: Amruta can watch a film anytime, anywhere. I am more systematic. I fuss about bringing the DVD. She starts the film from anywhere and will watch it even if it is for the 26th time. She remembers each movie and every dialogue in it and doesn’t sleep unless she’s watched a cartoon.
