Not every wedding is a big fat one in Bollywood. While some celebs, like Deepika Padukone-Ranveer Singh, Priyanka Chopra-Nick Jonas, celebrated their love with big ceremonies, others preferred to keep it just among family. One such actress is Pooja Batra. The actress, who rose to fame with the Anil Kapoor-starrer Viraasat, married boyfriend Nawab Shah in a hush-hush ceremony on July 4, 2019. (All pictures/Pooja Batra and Nawab Shah's Instagram account)
In fact, a few days before they announced their marriage officially, Nawab shared a video with wife Pooja Batra where the actress was seen flaunting her traditional 'chooda' or red bangles worn by married women in India. He captioned: "A story you can make a movie on [sic]."
In picture: Nawab Shah shared a video in which Pooja flaunted her red bangles.
Months before they tied the knot, the internet was abuzz when Nawab Shah and Pooja Batra confessed their love for each other on social media. And ever since then, there had been talks. Batra was previously married to US-based surgeon Sonu Ahluwalia. However, the marriage ended and Pooja said in a media interaction: "It was the most gruelling, lonely and difficult phase of my life." Before Pooja, Shah was linked to TV actor Kavita Kaushik. But now, the two have found love again.
In picture: Pooja and Nawab opted for ice-blue matching attire for their wedding reception.
Pooja and Nawab tying the knot in a hush-hush ceremony created a lot of buzz on July 12, 2019, and finally, the actress shared pictures with Nawab on Instagram. She gave an exclusive interview to The Times Of India and revealed the details of how she met the love of her life after so many years.
In the interview, Pooja said: "Yes, we are married. Nawab and I exchanged vows in Delhi, with only our families in attendance. Our loved ones kept asking us why we were delaying it (the marriage). I was simply going with the flow, but then I realised that he is the man I want to spend the rest of my life with, and there is no point in delaying it any further. So, here we are. We had an Arya Samaj wedding, and we will register our marriage this week."
In picture: Pooja Batra opted for a red and green silk-velvet wedding ethnic wear for her special day.
Talking about the equation she shared with her now-husband, Pooja further revealed in the interview: "I knew of Nawab by virtue of being in the same profession. However, we strongly connected after we were reintroduced by a common friend in February this year. I guess we reconnected at the right time in our life. We were in the same space emotionally and hit it off instantly."
In picture: Pooja Batra seeks blessings from mother Neelam Batra.
She added: "I have always respected and liked Nawab, and this time around, I was open to the idea of getting to know him better. A part of me wanted to see if there could be something beyond friendship between us. We share emotional and intellectual compatibility, and we don't have to explain too much to each other. I like the fact that he is a family person."
In picture: This picture of Nawab Shah and Pooja Batra took social media by storm.
Pooja also shared how beautiful it was when she started dating the Tiger Zinda Hai actor, Nawab Shah. "During the initial days of our relationship, there was this one time when he came to pick me up at the airport, and according to him, he wanted to pop the question right then. However, he got nervous and dropped the idea (laughs!). He was ready to propose to me soon after we met. Eventually, he proposed to me in Delhi, and again when he came to meet my parents with his family."
Sharing how difficult it was to be alone on foreign land, Pooja added: "Everybody goes through phases. I survived one of the most difficult ones, as I was alone in a foreign country. But then, that's life, isn't it? You learn as you grow and your mindset also changes with time. Life is all about learning and getting better. Every relationship is different, what works for one couple might not work for another. But what I have realised with time is to be respectful towards your partner, because what you give is what you receive."
On the work front, Pooja Batra, who was last seen in the film Mirror Game and is now planning to take up more work in India, is spending more time in the country. Talking about her projects overseas, Pooja mentioned: "I have been working in American shows, but since I'll be spending more time in India from now on, I would like to take up quality work here, too."
Nawab has acted in films like Don 2, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Musafir, Lakshya, Dilwale, Dabangg 3, and Panipat, among others.
In picture: After making it official on social media, Pooja shared a pretty picture as her Instagram story.
On the work front, Pooja Batra announced her new project which will see a US release. Sharing the news, the actress said in a media interaction, "This beautifully-told tale of a young woman at crossroads in her life offers a rare look at aristocratic Indian society in the early part of the 20th century- one that will resonate with the audiences today."
Pooja Batra walked the red carpet in a bandh gala kurta, paired with red pants for the event. Speaking of Nawab Shah, the actor showed off his uber-cool side in a black tuxedo.
Nawab Shah was last seen in Vidyut Jammwal's Khuda Haafiz (2020), and has multiple projects completed and ready for release. Nawab and Pooja graced the Golden Globe Awards 2020 earlier this year.
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