Scheming for the future

She?s better known as Pallavi, the scheming bahu of the Agarwal family in Kahani Ghar Ghar Kii and he is the scheming Dr Siddharth in Ayushman. Shweta Kawaatra and Manav Gohi are the quintessential television couple, whose love story is waiting to be recreated on television.

Shweta started out with dreams of becoming a Bollywood star, but found her place in the sun with the Balaji serial Kahani Ghar Ghar Kii, which made her a household name. Even though she has bowed out of the serial, she is called Pallavi by fans and viewers who stop her and request her to leave the Agarwal family alone. Post-Kahani Ghar Ghar Kii, Shweta has reinvented herself as an anchor and is now facing the cameras on Current Bollywood and Good Morning Bollywood on SET Max and Sahara respectively. She also made an appearance in My Brother Nikhil playing Sanjay Suri?s lawyer. In the not-too-distant future, she will be on a reality-based show Crime and Punishment on Sahara Rastriya. Says Shweta, ?I?m open to good film offers but the roles have to be substantial.?

Manav, who started his career a few years after Shweta, had the initial hiccups before hitting it big with CID and Ayushman on Sony. He is also a Balaji regular and will be hosting the upcoming reality show ? Fame Gurukul on Sony TV. ?I will start looking at projects after October,? says the actor, busy shuttling between locations.

Shweta:

Manav and I met on the sets of Kahani Ghar Ghar Kii. We didn?t really work together or have scenes together but we did know of each other and met briefly. It wasn?t love at first sight; we became friends first before we started dating. We would meet off-and-on at Balaji parties and other television events and hit it off very well. We would often go out for a dance or just a drink and that?s how it all began.

Over the months, we realised that we couldn?t do without each other. Whenever Manav wasn?t in town, I?d miss him and vice-versa. Yet, we couldn?t think of seeing each other, as we are so distinctly different. We could be friends but lovers? That was doubtful. But what was important was we still wanted to be with each other. So, the three-and-a-half years of courtship did have its ups and downs. We both moved towards each other and made the relationship work.

Marriage too wasn?t something we contemplated and pondered over. It was the obvious step in the relationship. There was opposition from my parents mainly because they didn?t know him but finally they came around and we got married. Post-marriage, things haven?t changed much. I am more at ease and he is more responsible today. Earlier, we would look into each other?s eyes but today we look at the world together.

Also, being in the same profession is great. I understand if Manav calls and postpones his meeting me by two to three hours as I know the problems and tensions of the television industry. One of the best things about Manav is that he loves to give me surprises. Once, he showed up at Goa, where I was shooting for just the evening as he was missing me. It was very overwhelming. Even when we went to Paris for our honeymoon, the experience was wonderful. Like married couples in movies, we too explored the city; I cherish that memory the most.

Manav:

Shweta and my relationship can be put simply. We met as friends and that developed into a habit. Soon I realised that I couldn?t continue without her. We were always compatible as friends and that we were made for each other was my biggest realisation.

Post-marriage she hasn?t changed as much, compared to me. I used to be very nonchalant but now my perspective and priorities in life have changed. I feel more responsible not only for her but also for myself. Her life is connected to me and that is a big thing. What I love about Shweta is how she holds herself and conducts herself. Even before we got married or started seeing each other she would do simple everyday things for me. And the best part was it just came naturally to her and she never had to make any extra effort to do it.

Of course, I never looked at her as a girlfriend as she never has the qualities of a girlfriend. But love and marriage is beyond our control and things just took shape. Now, when I look back I think I could have missed her had I not popped the question. Hopefully, we shall get a chance to act together. I know her as a friend, as an actor and as a wife ? now I?d like to know her as a colleague. I?m sure that just like the rest of the things in our life together, it?ll be loads of fun!