LOVE THROUGH THE AGES RAJKUMMAR & PATRALEKHAA

EVERY DAY CAN FEEL LIKE VALENTINE'S DAY WHEN YOU'VE FOUND YOUR FRIEND, YOUR LOVER, YOUR EVERYTHING.

- ANANYA SHANKAR

AMID THE JOYS OF MARRIED LIFE, BOLLYWOOD'S MOST STEADFAST COUPLE OFFERS A PEEK INTO THEIR BOUNDLESS LOVE, ENDURING FRIENDSHIP, AND OVER A DECADE OF DEVOTION

In a tale that began on a chance encounter to Pune, a young Rajkummar Rao and Patralekhaa found themselves crossing paths. Enchanted by the actress he had glimpsed in a commercial, he secretly aspired to marry her someday. On the other hand, she, having witnessed his toxic on screen character in Love, Sex Aur Dhoka, was not equally smitten; and thus began a love story for the ages.

“Well, I saw a South Indian girl [the character in the commercial] and found a Bengali one!” Rajkummar laughs, and as we sit across the endearing couple after their photoshoot, recollecting that day — 13-14 years ago — we see the same young love in their eyes. “Everything is more than what I had expected then. I feel like the luckiest person in the world. She’s my go-to person…”

“Also, we are best friends, right?” chimes Patralekhaa, encapsulating the essence of their relationship. “I was just mesmerised by him. When I saw his dedication towards his work and how he dealt with situations, I thought, ‘This guy is far from that character [in Love, Sex Aur Dhoka]!’”

As the shoot comes to an end and the two relax on a couch, HELLO! engages in a heart-to-heart with the happy couple who tied the knot in 2021, delving into their views on love, life and the journey beyond their ‘happily ever after’.

THEN, NOW & FOREVER