KRUTIKA GHORPADE & AKSHAY BHANSALI

IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH HELLO!, THE YOUNG ROYALS SHARE THEIR DELIGHTFUL LOVE STORY AND WHAT IT’S LIKE LIVING IN NEW YORK CITY POST MARRIAGE

- NAYARE ALI

He hails from the royal family of Gwalior, and she’s a scion of the Sandur blue-blooded clan. The charming Akshay Bhansali and Krutika Ghorpade Bhansali, who’ve been married for five years now, encapsulate a narrative that borders on history and legendary families coming together. This is a marriage equal in all respects, be it their royal status, their professional lives, or their responsibilities towards their three-year-old daughter, Annika Devi.

The Scindia family has a history with both pre-and post-independence India. Akshay’s mother, Yashodhara Raje Scindia is a two-time MP from Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh and also the youngest daughter of Jiwajirao Scindia, the former Maharaja of Gwalior, and the late Vijaya Raje Scindia. Akshay’s father, Dr Siddharth Bhansali, on the other hand, is a cardiologist from a prominent family of Palitana in Gujarat, the son of famed cardiologist Dr Kirtilal Bhansali.

“My mum met my father at Mahalaxmi Racecourse in Mumbai in the early 70s. They both love equestrian sports. My dad was a jockey; he must have been quite the sight up there on the horse! My mother was also quite an accomplished horsewoman. They met, and the rest is history!” shares Akshay.

Krutika, too, comes from royal blood — her father Kartikeya Raje Ghorpade hails from the royal family of Sandur, while her mother Ambika Ghorpade is the daughter of Rajkumari Sushiladevi of Jasdan, Gujarat.