Actor Rajeev Khandelwal first met his wife, Manjiri Khandelwal, through his close friend Mamta Sengupta (Manjiri’s elder sister) in 2008. Ahead of Valentine’s Day, the couple who celebrated their 14th wedding anniversary on Friday, open up about their swoon-worthy romance in an exclusive interview with us.

Talking about what he admires the most in his wife, the 49-year-old shares, “She is very comfortable in her space and a very confident person. So, I just wanted someone strong and independent and she is all of that!”

While many say that love is not enough for a marriage to work, the actor disagrees. “I need to wake up next to her every morning. So, just the thought of seeing each other’s face every day is enough for me,” shares Rajeev, still smitten in love as ever.

For her part, recalling their first meeting, Manjiri shares, “The first meeting was just a casual and fun one. But it was the second time, during the screening of his film Aamir (2008), where I spent a considerable amount of time with him and got to know him.”

Talking about living with his fame, she adds, “I think in the initial stages of dating it was a bit unnerving to get all that attention. But honestly, I have always loved the fact that he gets so much love.” 

Recalling one such day, where Manjiri was welcoming of his spotlight, Rajeev shares, “On my birthday, when we returned home, many fans were waiting outside. But Manjiri was very cooperative and said, ‘They’re your fans and I want you to interact with them. This is their moment’.”