Valentine's Day: Roja actress Madhoo recalls sweet love story with husband Anand Shah

The joie de vivre of actor Madhoo Shah spilled over into the song "Dil Hai Chhota Sa" in Roja and seven years later in her marriage to industrialist Anand Shah. The Free Press Journal caught up with the actress for an exclusive chat.

When and how did you meet your husband, Anand?

Anand says he saw me in the film Diljale (1998). He found me interesting. Anand told his dear friend Andy Balraj, "The girl in the film Madhoo is lovely." In those days, Jackie, Andy, and I were working on the film Hafta Vasuli. Andy offered to introduce Anand to me, but Anand said, "I don't want to meet her like a fan, why don't you fix up a meeting for me with her as a professional?" So Andy came to me with an ad that was going to be shot in Bali. Andy arranged a meeting with Anand. After we talked for about five minutes about the work, we got so interested in each other's stories and families that we just talked the night away.

What were your first impressions of Anand?

I had never met anyone like him. He was from a business background; he had studied in Switzerland. Unlike him, I come from a different background. Once, while walking on the beach in Bali, he was trying to flirt with me. I told him, "Don't flirt, you know, I'm done with all this. I'm at a stage in my life, where I'm looking to settle down in a proper relationship. So he said, "Yeah, so marry me." He just said it without batting an eyelid, and I said yes instantly. And that moment was just magical.

What did he bring for you on the first date?

He's not the guy who gives you chocolate and flowers. But I remember that when we started dating and he returned from one of his trips to Singapore, he brought a suitcase full of clothes and belts for me. No one had ever pampered me like that before.

Who said I love you first?

He did. He said, "I'm besotted with you." I heard that word for the first time, and I could see in his eyes that he was crazy about me.

What did you fight about, if at all?

I had a reputation for being a wild party girl back then. I loved the nightclub culture, and I would go out and have a couple of drinks and parties. That was a wild thing, and he comes from a conservative Gujarat. background. So when people told him things about me, he would be upset and fight with me. We have had many such squabbles, and I had to tell him once. "Look what I did before I met you—what I did in my own life and in my own time. What I do after I become committed to you is what you should be concerned with. I'm a straightforward person, and you've got to believe that, but you can't track my past."

Who was more possessive?

He was possessive. I had many actor friends, especially in the South. Once, when I met an actor friend for dinner, Anand was furious. I resented it because I don’t like being controlled. However, I thought about it later and reasoned with myself about why this conflict and pain were over a third person.

Who is funnier?

He's my sadoo number one, and he never smiles. I have to prod him to smile, and I am a giggly goat! I find life hilarious and ironic.

Was there any family resistance to your marriage?

My father was already looking out for a suitable match for me. So I told him that I'd found the person to fit the bill. What won my father over was that Anand is a strict Jain vegetarian. But the other hurdle was that I thought people told my mother-in-law things about me because I am an actress. So she was skeptical, but my ma-in-law and my pa-in-law took a shine to my father and brother. Finally, I think my brother clinched it for me because my father-in-law says, "Your family is awesome."

You were boyfriend-girlfriend, and now you are husband-wife. What has changed at a deeper level?

When we were boyfriend-girlfriend, I always thought that he was more mature than me, but as we got married and life went on, I felt that I'd grown up a lot in the relationship and as a parent. We take on equal responsibility, and we both have a common goal. Anand exhibits far more patience with kids than I do because my daughters are young women who sometimes push my buttons. I'm highly reactive and short- tempered, but he has more patience with them. He talks and makes more sense with them. He's a great father.