While his parents and sister have tested positive, Himansh has tested negative for COVID-19 twice
Riya Sharma (BOMBAY TIMES; August 31, 2020)

On Saturday, Himansh Kohli shared on social media that his parents and sister have tested positive fir Coronavirus. The Yaariyan actor, however, tested negative twice.

He says, “My father had fever and other mild symptoms, and tested positive a week back. When I went for his tests, I was tested, too, and my reports came negative. After dad, my mother also started showing symptoms and on Saturday, she and my sister, Disha, tested positive. I was tested again and my reports are negative.”

He adds, “My house help and I have tested negative. My parents have mild symptoms now and my sister is asymptomatic. I am trying to take all precautions while taking care of them. We are making sure that we maintain social distancing in our house. My house help is in charge of our kitchen now and only he is allowed to be there.”

Talking about how his parents reacted to testing positive, Himansh says, “My parents were initially scared when they tested positive for COVID. But I told them that they need to stay calm. All of us are in the middle of a pandemic, anyone can get the virus. We should not behave as if it’s a taboo.”

Riya Sharma (BOMBAY TIMES; July 15, 2020)

After being shut throughout the lockdown, monuments in Delhi reopened in Unlock 2.0. Himansh Kohli, who returned to Delhi when flights resumed, visited Qutub Minar with us over the weekend. Wearing a mask, carrying sanitiser and maintaining social distancing, the actor appreciated efforts taken by the authorities during the unlock phase and relived his childhood memories at the site. “I’m carrying my sanitiser, have a mask on and will follow social distancing norms,” said Himansh as he met us at Qutub Minar.

With tickets going digital, Himansh scanned his at the entrance and got his temperature checked. “There used to be a long queue at the ticket counter, but now you can only buy them online. You have to scan them yourself,” he explained. This was followed by the security guard sanitising his hands and noting down his details, such as his name, phone number, address, last visited location etc. “This is my second outing since Coronavirus lockdown. It feels good visiting a place that makes me nostalgic. There are only five-10 people around even though it’s a Sunday. All safety precautions are in place, and I feel safe,” he shared.

Talking about his earlier visits to the place, Himansh admitted, “I’m a Delhiite and I have lived in the city most of my life, but this is my second visit to Qutub Minar. My last visit was 15-16 years ago, when I came here for a school picnic. I’m glad I’m revisiting this place when there are no distractions, no schedules, no engagements, fewer people, and lots of time on hand.” While leaving, Himansh said that he was awestruck visiting the place, and he now plans to explore other monuments, too. “As I entered, I told myself I have to visit all these amazing monuments again, no matter how many times I’ve been there. I explored the place with safety, understanding that this is the new normal, and it wasn’t bad at all. I loved every bit of it.”

Riya Sharma (BOMBAY TIMES; May 26, 2020)

On May 23, a couple of days after it was announced that domestic flights would resume from May 25, Himansh Kohli booked himself two tickets on one of the first Mumbai-Delhi flights. “I wanted to go home ever since the Coronavirus lockdown was announced, but I could not. I planned to travel via road, however, I wasn’t sure about the situation on the highway. Then I read that domestic flights were set to resume, and as soon as I got a notification that bookings were open, I booked my tickets.”

But his travel plans were uncertain till he actually boarded the flight since the Maharashtra government was still mulling over whether to allow air travel. “Till yesterday morning I wasn’t sure if I would be able to board the flight or not. There were no updates from the airline’s side as to whether my flight was cancelled or rescheduled. My flight was at 7 am, and I reached two hours early. There were flights being cancelled on the spot. My cousin was supposed to take a flight an hour before me, but her flight got cancelled at the last minute,” he says. Luckily, Himansh’s flight wasn’t cancelled and he managed to return home to Delhi yesterday.

With the rules at the airport quite strict, the actor says this travel experience was quite different. “We were asked to follow social distancing while queuing up at the airport’s gate. They checked our temperature and verified our ID. We had to show our printed boarding pass and get luggage tags from home. They also asked us to show the ‘safe’ certificate on the Aarogya Setu app. Some passengers also got medical certificates from their doctor,” says Himansh, adding, “The airport itself was quite empty. People were wearing masks and gloves and carrying sanitisers with them. Since it was the first day of flights resuming, people looked a little scared.”

The boarding process was also very different, says Himansh. “While earlier, passengers used to rush when boarding started and break the queue, now everyone was boarding and deboarding according to their row numbers,” he says, adding “Once inside the plane, everything looked just like before. However, there was no food provided; only a bottle of water. While lavatories were accessible, we were advised against using them. I had booked two seats for myself — the middle and window seats — to minimise contact with anyone. I understand it might seem wasteful, but our life is more important. I felt lucky and fortunate that I reached Delhi safely. My dad came to pick me up, but there were no hugs at the airport or at home. He also sanitised the car once we reached home, and everyone was like ‘Go, take a shower first.’ Since I came from another state, I will be in home quarantine willingly for at least 14 days.”

Actor Himansh Kohli talks about his ugly break-up with singer Neha Kakkar
Roshni Olivera (BOMBAY TIMES; February 18, 2020)

Himansh Kohli may have been a part of music videos and four films so far, but in recent times, the actor has been more in the news for his personal life. His break-up with singer Neha Kakkar a year ago, followed by the badgering he got on social media from her fans for being the ‘heartless boyfriend’, took a toll on him. But he chose not to speak about it. However, recently in a chat with Bombay Times, the Yaariyan actor opened up for the first time about the most difficult phase in his life and how he dealt with it. Excerpts...

Would you agree that your personal life has been far more in the news than your work?
Yes. In fact, a lot of people, including the media, even today call me Neha Kakkar’s ex-boyfriend. I understand that; I have been in a relationship with the person, and it’s normal for everyone to link me with her. But sometimes, I feel bad because there is an identity that I made for myself in 2011 when I started out as an actor with the TV show, Humse Hai Life. Her hit song Aaj Blue Hai Pani Pani was from my film Yaariyaan, which released in 2014. Of course, the two of us met much later... somewhere around 2017, during the promotions of my film Ranchi Diaries, where she sang one of the songs. We clicked and started going out, and were together for almost a year. I was serious about the relationship and we had plans to get married at some point in the future.

Why was the break-up so ugly? Neha had put up a post in those days saying, ‘Mujhe pata nahi tha iss duniya mein itne burey log bhi hote hain.. Khair... I know I’m a celeb..I’m not supposed to write all this.. but I’m human too.. and aaj kuch zyada hi toot gayi, isliye couldn’t control my feelings.’
It wasn’t an ugly break up from my side, but when speculations started, everything became ugly. That was one of the worst phases of my life. Today, things have settled down, but yes, there was a time when the entire world was cursing me on social media.

That was when we had just split towards the end of 2018 and Neha had put up this post online. Nobody wanted to know the real story and I was made out to be the villain. It was very upsetting because I wasn’t saying anything and people were drawing their own conclusions based on what she was putting out. She cried on TV shows and everyone believed that I was to blame. I wanted to cry, too, but then one tends to put up a brave front. At the end of the day though, we are human.

Mann mera bhi bahut karta tha ki main kuch kahoon, there were times when I would type things to post on social media, but I would decide to wait for some time, and a few hours later, I would change my mind because I felt this is the same person who I had loved, how can I say anything against her. That’s not my definition of love. I never even asked her why she was doing that to me, even though it hurt me very much.

What was the reason behind the split?
There were so many things that happened, but I didn’t want to talk about it. All I can say is that she didn’t want to continue and so, we mutually decided to separate. It was her decision to move on in life and I respected that. But then in no time, the story took a turn. Each time she put up a post, I faced a backlash.

So how did you deal with that phase?
I took a holiday and went to London, my sister joined me there. I was constantly in the news because each time she posted something, I would be trolled. I felt like I was in everyone’s bad books and was even losing confidence to talk to women. I went to places where I could meditate. One thing that really hurt me was people accusing me of using her; I just couldn’t understand that. Four films of mine had released before I met her and I was making money. In fact, while the two of us were together, I didn’t do much work because I would to travel with her for her shows so that we could spend time together. I actually let a lot of work pass in those months. Then people also said that I had cheated on her and that’s why things ended. Thankfully, a few months later, she cleared the air and said I hadn’t cheated on her. Thereafter, things got better. I have put it all behind me now. In fact, it has made me stronger and I guess people respect me even more now and tell me that they appreciate the way I handled it all. I have always respected my relationship while it was on or even after it ended. I haven’t deleted any of the things that I put up on social media while were dating because I believe that two people may move on in life, but they don’t necessarily have to erase good memories.

The fact that she has been very emotional about you on social media or even on her reality show Indian Idol where she cried when your name came up, do you think she wanted to patch up with you?
I don’t know… I was never available for that. I kept myself away from everything once we parted ways.

Have you been in touch post the break-up?
No, we have had no contact after we split.

Are you open to love now?
Yes, but right now my entire focus is on work. There are interesting projects that I will start working on this year. There are two films and two music videos, and I am really looking forward to them.

Dhaval Roy (DNA; December 5, 2018)

There’s a lot happening in Neha Kakkar’s life. She is not only judging the 10th edition of Indian Idol but has also dropped four non-film singles in the past one month — Nikle Currant with Jassie Gill, Baarish with Bilal Saeed, Zindagi Mil Jayegi and Dil Chahiye — all of which have garnered millions of views on YouTube. Add to that her Bollywood career and live shows. There’s also much buzz as far as her personal life is concerned. Her friendship with Yaariyan actor Himansh Kohli has been the talk of the town, with the two indulging in PDA on television as well as social media, whether it was ‘Neha’s swayamvar’ on her music reality show or cutesy nicknames — Nehu and Heeman — for each other or the duo sharing their cuddly photos. When After Hrs asks the über popular songstress about her ‘bestie’, the question is carefully staved off. But she does talk to us about other things...
Idol talk

After being a contestant on Indian  Idol season 2, and eliminated quickly, Neha occupied the judge’s seat alongside biggies like Vishal Dadlani and Anu Malik, who has now been replaced by Javed Ali, post allegations of sexual harassment by Sona Mohapatra and Shweta Pandit. The La La La (Baazaar) singer says about her new co-judge, “Javed Ali and I judged another singing reality show last year. So, we are friends and pretty well versed with each other’s style of working. So, I welcomed him with open arms. On his part, he slipped into Anu ji’s place smoothly.” As far as elimination of contestants goes, she states, “It does hurt a lot if someone gets eliminated but that’s the part of being a judge on a reality show.”

Emotional in real life
Speaking of hurting, in the initial phase of the show, one saw her weeping at the drop of a hat. In her videos and on social media, she is otherwise seen as a happy girl with a perpetual smile on her face. “I am what you see on screen. I have no pretences or another personality when the cameras roll. I am always ‘me’ everywhere— including off the screen,” she says emphasizing that she is an extremely emotional person.

A big year
2018 has been a great year for Neha, in terms of playback singing as well as singles. “The biggest highlights would definitely have to be Dilbar (Satyameva Jayate) and Indian Idol. Both have been doing exceptionally well,” avers the singer, who also sang Morni Banke in the recently released movie, Badhaai Ho. There have also been as many as six non-film tracks, including La La La with Arjun Kanungo and Oh Humsafar, which garnered a lot of attention also because of her chemistry with Himansh. But, the duo is not recreating the magic anytime soon, as Neha says, “As of now, nothing with Himansh is in the pipeline. If something interesting is offered, I will look into it.”

Another big moment was Sara Ali Khan recently appeared on the show and said that she came for Neha. The vocalist says, “Sara was extremely sweet. It feels nice when your work is appreciated.” As for her fangirl moment, it was with Govinda when the veteran actor visited the set. “I’ve been a big fan of his since I was a child,” Neha avers.

Success and failure
While Neha is riding high on success currently, she is also mindful that there will always be competition at every level. “It keeps me on my toes and makes me go that extra mile. There will always be someone better than me. I am aware and prepared for that. I’ve always believed that if one is talented, one is here to stay. Success and failure are two sides of the same coin — one should focus on the work and the rest will follow. Till then, I am enjoying each moment of my success.”

‘Nothing to hide’
While Neha appreciates the adulation that has come her way, she takes the lack of privacy in her stride. “It’s part of the industry we are in,” Neha reasons, and continues, “Anyway, I am like an open book, so I have nothing to hide.” Her latest release is Chamma Chamma (Fraud Saiyan), a remake of the 1998 hit track from China Gate. “I have lots of songs and shows coming up. Wait and watch!” she concludes.

From top left: Ekta Kapoor with her guests, Mouni Roy and Divyanka Tripathi catch up with the hostess, Shraddha Kapoor turns up in a Kresha Bajaj outfit; Kriti Sanon stood out in red, Kiara Advani arrives, Nushrat Bharucha struck a pose with Tanuj Garg

Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 8, 2018)

This year, Ekta Kapoor ditched her customary Diwali bash and opted for a relatively low-key celebration with only close friends in attendance. The hostess chose a baby pink lehenga for the occasion, while guests Kriti Sanon, Shraddha Kapoor, Shilpa Shetty and Nushrat Bharucha, among others, turned up in their festive finery.

Also joining the lehenga bandwagon was Shabana Azmi, who had lots to chat about with Varun Dhawan’s mother, Karuna. Kriti arrived late and exited early but found time to catch up with her Bareilly Ki Barfi director Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari while Ashwiny’s husband Nitesh spent time his Chhichhore heroine Shraddha Kapoor. Singer Neha Kakkar arrived with beau Himansh Kohli, Kiara Advani posed with Karan Johar, while writer Mushtaq Sheikh was seen with Karishma Tanna and her mother.

“Karan discussed his own Diwali bash for Wednesday night, impromptu and informal, with Nitesh,” a guest from the party informed. Raj Nayak, who recently returned from his New York holiday, was also present, along with Ashvini Yardi, Mouni Roy, Rohit Roy, Mansi Joshi, Shilpa Shetty, Krystle D’Souza, Anita Hassanandani and Arslan Goni to name a few.

A heavily pregnant Neha Dhupia who came with husband Angad Bedi announced that she wanted to make the most of all Diwali parties before the baby arrived. Ekta’s Yeh Hai Mohabbatein leading lady Divyanka Tripathi elicited some laughs on her way out, when she mistakenly entered someone else’s car instead of her own.

Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 20, 2018)

After almost a year of denials and online PDA, the couple made a joint appearance on a talent hunt show recently

Singer Neha Kakkar, and Himansh Kohli, who made his acting debut in Divya Khosla Kumar’s 2014 directorial Yaariyan, have been at the centre of reports that claim that they are a couple.

After almost a year of denying it, the duo came clean on their relationship status on a new episode of Indian Idol 10. While Neha is a judge on the talent hunt show alongside Vishal Dadlani and Anu Malik, Himansh was making a guest appearance.

A source from the sets reveals, “(Actor-comedian) Sunil Grover, who was a guest on the show, was doing a fun segment called ‘Neha’s Swayamvar’. Himansh turned up during the segment along with host Paritosh Tripathi, and Neha noted that he understands her very well, adding, ‘In the future when I think of getting married, he is going to be there in my mind’.”

And to everyone’s surprise, Himansh responded in the affirmative, saying, “I was waiting for you to say that.”

At another point in the show, the couple put up a romantic performance on the song “Oh Humsafar”, which is sung by Neha and her brother Tony Kakkar. Incidentally, Himansh had featured in its music video with Neha that had released earlier this year.

Neha and Himansh had caught everyone’s attention with their interactions on the social media. Talk of a romance intensified soon after the couple reportedly celebrated Valentines’ Day together this year. However, many noted that they had hit a rough patch in the following months.

DNA (March 12, 2018)

An actor and an actress dating each other doesn’t surprise anyone. However, this new pair is a perfect mix of Bollywood and the music industry. Apparently, the new real-life jodi in town is actor Himansh Kohli and singer Neha Kakkar. The two youngsters make quite a few appearances on each other’s Instagram accounts and often refer to each other as ‘bestie’.

Says a source, “Neha had actually sung the song Blue Hai Paani with Honey Singh, which was part of Himansh’s debut film Yaariyan.” According to sources, the two were going to collaborate for a music video, during which their dosti grew deeper. On the work front, Himansh was last seen in Ranchi Diaries, while Neha has crooned songs like Kala Chashma, Badri Ki Dulhania, Main Tera Boyfriend, and Kar Gayi Chull among others.

PDA on social media?
The two celebrated Kiss Day by kissing each other on the cheek, later Neha celebrated Teddy Day (February 10) by uploading a picture with a large stuffed toy next to her and tagged Himansh in the picture. Last year on Himansh’s birthday (November 3), Neha posted a picture wishing the actor on the occasion and also for his next venture, Dil Jo Na Keh Saka. A source adds, “Apparently, they also brought in the New Year with their buddies.” Later, Himansh posted a picture and said, “I don’t remember when was the last time I enjoyed this much, like how I did yesterday. This girl @nehakakkar can seriously get anybody in the whole damn world go crazy.”

Being Supportive
Besides showering each other with compliments, they are supportive and encouraging about each other’s work. “They often congratulate each other for their work achievements. While Himansh has around 473 K followers, Neha has over 9.2 million followers. All of them have noticed their interaction,” adds the source. When Neha’s version of Thoda Aur got 3.5 million views, Himansh posted a picture to congratulate her. Neha returned the favour by sending a shout out to the young actor when his song Musafir got 50 million views.

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 22, 2015)

Ever heard of kids growing up together, remaining best friends through their teens, then falling in love in the blink of an eye and getting married? It happens only in Mills & Boons... and the movies.

That's the plot of Lara Dutta's comeback love story, Abhi Nahi Toh Kabhi Nahi, which is set in picturesque Darjeeling and produced by her husband, tennis ace, Mahesh Bhupathi. It pairs her with the intense Kay Kay Menon. "They're like a couple straight out of a romantic novel, lots of sparks and nok jhoks," asserts debutante director Jyothi Kapur Das.

The film also features four couples and has Rajeev Khandelwal in a guest appearance. "There are five heroes and four heroines, only Rajeev has no partner," says Jyothi.

Mirror (January 15) had earlier reported that Pankaj Kapur and daughter Sanah are a part of the ensemble cast. The director informs that Himansh Kohli who debuted in 2014 with Yaariyan will play Sanah's love interest. "They play carefree teenagers in love who haven't entered the real world yet," she adds.

After young love comes the Lara-Kay Kay duo. The director insists that the vivacious Lara is a perfect foil for the brooding actor. "I was impressed with his off the cuff one-liners during the script-reading session. He got under the skin of his character with just a few lines, he's so intuitive," she avers.

Pankaj Kapur is the star of the twilight romance. Buzz is, Pooja Bhatt will make her big screen comeback as his love interest. But all Jyothi will say about the casting coup is, "Pankaj will be romancing an actress who is also a director." 

Hiren Kotwani and Parag Maniar (BOMBAY TIMES; January 8, 2014)

The title Yaariyan was initially registered by Saif Ali Khan. However, Bhushan Kumar thought it suited their subject’s genre and requested the actor-producer for the title. Saif graciously obliged.

Before she started shooting, Divya Khosla Kumar had taken her script to Aamir Khan for his feedback. When he told her that it was a great idea for a film, she was thrilled.

When Himansh Kohli was a small boy, an astrologer had read his palm and told his parents that he would grow up to become an actor.

Shreyas Pardiwala was approached by the production house on a social networking site. But he thought that it was a fake message and ignored it initially.

Dev Sharma was working as a trainee assistant on Krrish 3 when he got a call from the production house to meet them for a look test.

While shooting in the chilly climes of Darjeeling, the cast suffered frostbites when they had to walk in knee-deep snow at one point of time.

Himansh had an encounter with a poisonous snake while shooting for a sequence in South Africa. Thankfully, he didn’t get bitten.

Shreyas, who was still studying in college when they were shooting, used to take his books on the set. Sometimes, Nicole Faria helped him with his studies.

Before the shooting began, Divya devoted almost an entire year to casting and workshops for her actors.

The first-time director took keen interest in every aspect of the film, right from the characters’ looks to the costumes, locations and set.

While several talents in the industry vouch for their ‘Godfathers’, the cast of the film termed their director as their ‘Godmother’, since that’s what she was on the set.

Despite being caught up with the film, Divya ensured that her son was around all the time. She’d even joke that her son Ruhaan (oneyear-old when they started filming), was the real producer as he was more on the set than her husband.

The team also shot a schedule at Lachen, located 13,000 feet above Leh. Of course, Divya’s producer-hubby was very stressed and concerned when she told him that they’d be shooting at the location where temperatures dropped to near zero.

Gulshan Grover was like an elder brother to the young cast and allowed them to use his plush hotel room as and when they liked it.

During the making of the movie, the principal actors became such thick friends that they apparently were even considering buying a flat together so that they can spend more time with each other.

Yo Yo Honey Singh has done a special song, Sunny Sunny, for the film. The producer wasn’t impressed with the original ABCD number, so he requested Honey Singh to add some rap to it.

Yaariyan, produced by TSeries, releases on January 10.