The actress talks about her hush-hush wedding in Italy, which took place in 2015
Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; December 28, 2017)

After our exclusive story of Surveen Chawla being secretly married for two years, the actress has shared the details of her wedding and why it was a fiercely-guarded secret. She tied the knot with businessman Akshay Thakker in a low-key ceremony on July 28, 2015, in Italy.

We hear that Surveen was planning to make her marriage public in January, 2018. The actress reveals, “Yes, I am married. I have known Akshay for long. It was a personal choice to not talk about the marriage. We wanted to break the news just before our Indian wedding, which was scheduled to take place this month. However, we had to postpone it to 2018, following a loss in the family.”

The Italian wedding was a close-knit affair with only families and a few industry friends in attendance. Surveen says, “In a quintessential Indian wedding, the couple is surrounded by guests. But we wanted the day to ourselves; the idea was to enjoy each and every moment with each other and with those who matter the most. Also, I always wanted a white wedding in a chapel located in a castle. Fortunately, Akshay shared the same dream and that’s how we zeroed in on a picturesque castle in Northern Italy. It took me six months to finalize the venue. Since I am a die-hard romantic, there was no other way I would have done it.”

Surveen met Akshay through a common friend in 2013 and hit it off instantly. Their friendship soon graduated to love and they started living in eight months later. “It was organic. We began spending a lot of time together. There was no official proposal. We just knew that we wanted to be with each other. Akshay hates media glare and is a simple guy. He respects my individuality and understands me and my profession. Most importantly, he lets me be the person I am. He is the calming effect in my life. He made me understand the true meaning of letting go. Akshay has made me a better person. The idea behind the unison of two people is to help each other evolve. The best part is that he is not from the industry and that helps me remain grounded. It’s a great feeling to go back home to someone who has different things to talk about with a unique perspective,” she says.

So, did she hide her marriage from the world fearing that it would hamper her career? “Initially, yes, as my films were up for release,” she replies, adding, “But I soon crossed that bridge and realised that a talented actor will shine irrespective of her marital status.We need to take a cue from the West and get over such stigmas. International actresses go about flaunting their love life, marriage and babies without a care in the world. What matters is what I am doing on screen. Also, we suffered a personal loss and didn’t know how to go about announcing the wedding then.” And what about starting a family? “Though it’s not going to happen in the near future, I will proudly announce when I embrace motherhood,” she beams.