Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; April 23, 2018)

After their mehendi ceremony on Saturday, model-actor Milind Soman and girlfriend Ankita Konwar tied the knot in a traditional ceremony, yesterday. The wedding, which took place in Alibaug, was attended by close friends and family.

Staying true to their roots — Milind is a Maharashtrian, while Ankita is Assamese — the couple’s wedding was a blend of both cultures. They mixed and matched their Assamese outfits with Maharashtrian accessories and also performed certain Assamese rituals at the wedding ceremony.

Milind’s mother Usha Soman was by her son’s side throughout, soaking in the memorable moments. While most guests headed home last evening, the couple is slated to leave for Spain soon, for their honeymoon.

Known for giving fitness goals to health enthusiasts, Milind and Ankita’s bond proved that when it comes to love and marriage, age is definitely not a barrier. A lot was written about their 25-year age gap — he is 52 and she, 27 — but their wedlock goes on to show that all that matters is compatibility.

A haldi ceremony was held prior to the wedding, with classic Marathi songs playing in the background.

Here’s wishing the couple a happy married life.






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The groom preps for the wedding with 501 push-ups, the bride makes a style statement with flowers and a dazzling smile
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 23, 2018)

Even two days before Milind Soman tied the knot with Ankita Konwar, his girlfriend of nearly three years and a former air-hostess, it was business as usual for the 52-year-old model, athlete and India’s Ironman, as he kept up with his daily routine of 501 pushups. A week before that, the couple had run across Delhi and Kolkata as part of their fitness regime.

The two-day wedding ceremony took place on April 21-22 at an Alibaug farmhouse and guests pointed out that it was only apt that the health-freak and environmentalist took the pheras on Earth Day.

The wedding was a small, intimate Maharashtrian-style ceremony, preceded by some Assamese customs conducted by Niranjana and Nagen Konwar, parents of the 26-year-old bride. Ankita’s sister Jharna Konwar Baruah was also present. The couple was colour-coordinated in beige and gold for the two-hour ritual while Milind’s mother, Usha, draped herself in the traditional nauvari saree. The ornaments were predominantly floral paired with minimalistic accessories. Guests, including the bride and groom’s families, close friends and a few of Milind’s colleagues, braved the April heat as the couple took their vows in a mandap erected outdoors and decorated with Warli paintings, roses and marigold.

Around 30 guests arrived in Alibaug on Saturday for the sangeet and mehendi. It was a sun-downer with the couple dancing through the night to Bollywood chartbusters, including “Main Khiladi Tu Anari”, “Dilliwali Girlfriend” and “Ishq Sufiyana”. There was a Punjabi band which later doubled up as a karaoke crew with guests crooning under the moonlight. While Ankita switched from one brightly coloured lehenga to another for the many ceremonies preceding the pheras, Milind was breezy in a t-shirt and shorts during the pre-wedding rituals. After the wedding, all the guests changed into white shorts and T-shirts with two Warli stick figures representing the newlyweds emblazoned on them, perhaps in celebration of the matrimonial marathon the couple has pledged to run.

While rumours of an impending wedding had been rife for two months, neither Milind nor Ankita had confirmed the news. The cat was out of the bag by their close friends, model-actress Dipannita Sharma, filmmaker Subodh Maskara, Milind’s fellow runners Abhi Asha Mishra, and Radhika Gupta, as they shared pictures of the newlyweds on the social media, including one in which the groom swept his bride off her feet and into his arms.

Milind and Ankita had first raised eyebrows because of a 26-year age gap when they confirmed their relationship on the social media with loved-up pictures in November, 2015. But the couple shrugged it off. The couple had first got together when Ankita completed her first 10K marathon under Milind’s guidance earlier in the month. They would subsequently go on to particpate in several marathons, sometimes with Milind’s mom for company. The 78-year-old matriarch, who lives with the model-actor in his Dadar home, adores her daughter-in-law and after the wedding, has welcomed Ankita into the fold with open arms.

The mehndi ceremony was held yesterday
Renuka Vyavahare and Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; April 22, 2018)

Milind Soman is set to break many hearts today, as he ties the knot with girlfriend Ankita Konwar in a private ceremony in Alibaug. Sources close to the modelactor confirmed that the wedding ceremony will take place today, while the haldi and mehndi functions were held yesterday. The couple was dressed in traditional Assamese attire for their mehndi function.

Milind wanted to keep things low-key and invited only a select group of friends and family. Apart from close family members, those in attendance include Milind’s colleagues and friends who support his fitness and social causes. Most of the guests gathered in Alibaug on Saturday.

Model-actress Dipannita Sharma, who is among the guests at the wedding, told BT on Saturday, “The mehndi was a lot of fun, with Assamese, Hindi and Marathi songs being played in the background. Everybody, including the couple, had a great time dancing.”

Dipannita added, “Even the decor was a mix of Assamese and Marathi cultures. The wedding will also be a blend of both cultures, as Ankita is from Assam and Milind is a Maharashtrian. They want to keep it simple. We can’t wait to see them married.”

There’s also speculation that the reception might be held in a foreign location, where the newly-weds will be hosted by a close friend’s family. However, there have been no confirmations of it. Twenty seven-year-old Ankita is a former cabin crew executive. She’s now a fitness advocate like Soman.

Debarati Sen (BOMBAY TIMES; March 14, 2018)

Actress-supermodel Dipannita Sharma has always been passionate about the untapped beauty and tremendous potential of the Northeast (NE). She, along with her business partners, has set up a production house that aims to “bring the Northeast and world closer to each other”. In a chat with BT, she talks about her vision for the region, the upcoming projects of her production house and bagging an award for her debut web series…

You have launched a production company, North East Film Studio. What’s your vision for it?
We — my partners Saugat Bhattacharya, Ronjoy Borthakur and I — want to create content that captures the beauty of NE like never before. We have a strong connect with the region and hope to promote it as an ideal location for shoots. It is absolutely stunning and now, there are government subsidies for those who shoot there.

What kind of films will NEFS be into?
Our first project will be a mainstream Hindi film, followed by an English movie. Both the projects will be set in the Northeast.

Apart from production, you have won appreciation as an actor, too. You won an award for your debut web series, Bewafaa Sii Wafa…
Yes, I won the Best Supporting Actress Award for it. It’s special because it’s the first popular award that I have won, though I have been nominated before. It is very encouraging and fulfilling to be appreciated for your work.

Your latest movie Morjim is a thriller. What drew you to the project?
Morjim is a quirky, edgy thriller and I have not played a character like this before. The film is in the final stages of post-production and I hope that the audience enjoy it as much as I loved playing the part.

Debarati Sen (BOMBAY TIMES; December 10, 2017)

Model-actress Dipannita Sharma, who debuted this year in regional films with the Assamese movie, Xhoixobote Dhemalite (Rainbow Fields), is thrilled over the response it has garnered globally. It bagged the Best Foreign Feature Film at a Los Angeles film fest, got her the Best Actress Award in New Age Cinema, was the official selection for the Catoosa County Film Festival in Georgia and also in the Indian Panorama section at IFFI 2017. Though her film career is looking up, Dipannita says that she did not have an easy beginning. In an interview with Bombay Times, she talks about her latest movie, her struggles and how marriage has made her more evolved. Excerpts...

You began modelling while you were in college. How has the journey been, from modelling to acting?
It has been wonderful because I didn’t realise the transition at all (smiles) — I just smoothly drifted from one to the other. About a year after I shifted to Mumbai from Delhi (where she completed her graduation), I started getting calls to audition for films. I wasn’t very keen in the beginning, because I wanted to establish myself as a model first.

However, eventually, my friends and family convinced me to audition for 16 December (2002). There were two-three rounds of auditions to clear, and I found it extremely gruelling. Finally, my acting gene (her mother was actively involved in theatre back home in Assam) triumphed and I decided to give it a shot.

You have been a supermodel and now, you are an award-winning actress. Which profession are you closer to and why?
I was juggling both for the longest time, so I never felt like I am someone who turned into something else. I truly detest the term ‘model-turned-actress’; I love both my professions. Yes, I am acting more now, because it’s a natural progression for me, but I still walk the ramp for friends from the industry and new designers.

You did an Assamese film recently. How did it feel to do a movie in your mother tongue?
Xhoixobote Dhemalite has a heartwarming subject. I had always hoped that whenever I made my Assamese film debut, it would be with a subject like this.

When a model turns actress, she is not taken too seriously. In such a scenario, what does winning a Best Actress award mean to you? Do you feel vindicated?
After winning that award, I felt like I was finally being seen and heard for the right reasons. I have struggled to be taken seriously as an actor, despite being appreciated for my performances. People always see my glamorous side first. Firstly, let me clarify — there is nothing wrong with glamour. Secondly, if you want me to be non-glamorous, I can be that as well. Don’t judge me on the basis of my photographs from fashion events!

Your film Xhoixobote Dhemalite has won recognition nationally and internationally. Tell us a bit about it…
Xhoixobote Dhemalite is about children growing up amidst the insurgency in the 80s’ Assam and how a family must still go about their daily life in a seemingly normal manner. It’s a tricky subject, but it has been handled sensitively by National Award winning director, Bidyut Kotoky.

You got married at the peak of your career, and have always given a lot of credit to your husband (businessman Dilsher Singh Atwal) for your success…
My marriage has made me a more evolved person. I see relationships differently now. It has set me free, made me more non-judgmental and insightful. Maybe, my transformation has impacted my career in a positive way as well.

What are your upcoming projects?
I am currently prepping for a new web series, after completing work on two other. I have also finished shooting for a Hindi thriller, apart from reading a lot of scripts. That apart, my business partners and I are looking forward to launching our production company, which will concentrate on opening up the North East for shooting mainstream cinema and other media content.

MUMBAI MIRROR (April 26, 2017)

MUMBAI MIRROR (November 16, 2016)

Model-actress Dipannita Sharma along with Samir Soni will feature as a married couple in a yet-untitled show that will stream on soon-to-be launched app ALT Balaji. The story unfolds as Samir’s character falls in love with another woman.

“The series will have about 10 episodes in the first season. I play a woman who places premium on presenting the picture of a perfect family life to the world and ends up neglecting the person she loves in the process,” Dipannita told Mirror.

Shooting for the show kicked off a few weeks ago in Madh Island.

Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; September 29, 2016)


The actor is all for the new medium. “Web series are the in-thing right now,” he says, adding, “Not many people go to theatres to watch films and TV is being hogged by the naagins. Web series, on the other hand, show content that is relatable to today’s youth and can be watched by people anywhere. Also, when Balaji offered me the series, it was an opportunity to work with them again after Parichay (which aired three years ago), a show that saw much success and won several awards. Besides, the script is interesting. I couldn’t stop reading it.”

The thriller, which revolves around an extramarital affair, has Samir playing a tycoon. “The story is a contemporary one and will push boundaries,” says the actor, who co-stars with Dipannita Sharma and Aditi Vasudev (of Suleimani Keeda fame). Sonam Nair (who helmed Gippy) is directing the series.

The series is expected to be bold and have intimate scenes. “It will definitely be talked about,” agrees the actor, who is looking forward to the response to the series.

Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 21, 2016)

Stand-up comedian Sunil Grover, who's become a household name as Gutthi, his womanly avatar in Kapil Sharma's comedy show, has been quietly shooting for a film, also featuring model-actor Dipannita Sharma.

After wrapping up a schedule in Goa, the duo is now shooting in Mumbai for the laugh riot titled, Coffee With D. A source close to the development informed Mirror that they are rushing to wrap up the film as their leading lady, Dipannita, has to kick off her debut Assamese film soon.

Sunil too is busy with the The Kapil Sharma Show, which goes on air on April 23. "Sunil and Dipannita are playing media persons and the film is about the great lengths they go through, to save their jobs," informs the source.

While Sunil was unavailable for comment, Dipannita confirmed the news saying, "Yes we have been shooting for the film and it's been a lot of fun."

Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 18, 2016)

Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 1, 2014)

After walking the ramp for some of the top Indian as well as international designers, former supermodel Dipannita Sharma has now forayed into script-writing.

Mirror has learnt that she is working on a movie script that aims to tell the story of the fashion industry from an insider’s point of view.

A friend of the model said: "She was approached by a publishing house to write a book on the world of fashion, but instead decided to write a screenplay."

When contacted, Dipannita confirmed the news. "With this project, I want to bust the stereotypes associated with this industry. Having seen it first hand, I think I’d be able to put things in the right perspective," she said, adding "All models are not dope heads. Health is priority for most and they work hard not only to achieve it but also to maintain it. Films like Fashion only reinforce popular myths by giving a lopsided view. This needs to change."

According to Dipannita she is in advance talks with a few producers. "We should have a director on board by the end of this year," she said.