Raqesh Bapat and Shamita Shetty’s bond has extended beyond Bigg Boss OTT that the two recently participated in. Post the show, they were spotted in public, sparking rumours that their romance is turning serious. Currently, Shamita is locked up again in the Bigg Boss house, but Raqesh isn’t a part of this show. In a candid chat, he spoke to us about their equation.

Raqesh said, “My connection with Shamita is more than just a connection made on the show; it is not fake. She was my support system throughout the show. Luckily, she chose me as her connection in the first episode and it was good to have each other’s back throughout the Bigg Boss OTT journey. You just know that there is somebody standing by you, and that is what one needs in that chaos.”

Talking about what he likes best about Shamita, he said, “She is a lovely person, I like her, and her vibes are very correct. I genuinely feel that she is a straightforward person, who has strong opinions. She is very expressive, unlike me. I am a little shy in expressing anything. I am a thinker and like to weigh the pros and cons and then express myself.”

Ask Raqesh, who got divorced from actress Riddhi Dogra two years ago, if marriage is on the cards and he said, “Marriage? No. I have just got out of one and don’t want to get into one again so soon. Let’s see, I will give it some time. Shamita and I didn’t meet a lot since I am in Pune where I have my business to look after. I am taking our relationship organically now; I just want to give it some time. It is too early to say anything. We both want to get to know each other better because if any decision has to be made, it has to be well thought.”

Quite active in Marathi films, Raqesh is happy with his work in regional cinema. Talking about it, he said, “Marathi cinema has such good content, but unfortunately its reach is less. Unlike Punjabi and South cinema where the reach is much larger, Marathi cinema needs a commercial push. The budget is small and it is as per the return pattern. Fortunately, I have just completed a Marathi period film that has been made on a big canvas. I play the main negative lead. We are now waiting for it to get released in cinema halls.”

He started his career in Hindi films, but somewhere things clearly didn't’ shape up the way he would liked them to. Talking about this, he said, “I did Tum Bin when I was just 20 and hardly knew anything about acting. I was just a director’s puppet at that time. I was not a trained actor. Somewhere, I have been on the backseat because I did not get the right kind of offers. I am also not too ambitious; I’m a very chilled out person. I have been floating around pretty well, plus there are businesses that I’m involved in that keep me busy, apart from acting. I have also started my own production house. My back-up plan in life has helped me be choosy.”