Lucky in love

Love is in the air today, and these celebrities are proof of that. While some of them are spending Valentine’s Day with their significant ones, others are kicking it with their kids and family. Here’s a look at their love stories and their view on love

Love is a celebration: Riteish Deshmukh

They met on the sets of their debut film Tujhe Meri Kasam in 2002. What started as friendship slowly graduated into love and after a ten-year courtship, the couple tied the knot in 2012. Speaking about their journey so far, Riteish says, “I never plan anything for Valentine’s Day because I just believe in going with the flow. I have been married for seven years and dated another 10 years so we have been together for 17 years. So in all these years, your relationship does go through a big change. You realize you need to adjust so you grow with each other and you grow together. So many times, you take your relationship for granted and don’t appreciate the fact that they do have some good qualities in them. So, in days like Valentine’s Day, it’s okay to be out there on Instagram and share your love with that person,” he says.

Love is ageless: Saira Banu

Saira Banu was only 16 when she fell in love with her screen idol Dilip Kumar. The couple who have been together for five decades have seen many ups and downs and many detractors believed that the age gap between the couple would not make their marriage a success. They have always stayed by each other’s side through the years. “The new generation doesn’t have the patience anymore. The kids are getting things easy and it’s the age of rush and they tend to give up easily. Marriage is different and I have been blessed to have someone like Dilip saab, he is a giver and he has gone out of his way for love,” says Saira adding that their love is still alive as they are never bored of each other. “We are still discovering each other and that’s the beauty of life. As life unfolds, we are only getting closer to each other.” But like every partnership, their have seen troubled times too. “I won’t just put up a rosy picture of our marriage.  But we sailed through that bad phase and now we are happy again. That’s what I tell to the young couples. Give everything time,” she advises as she reveals her plan for today. “Our plan is around sunset, we will go on a long drive because that’s his favourite time. He usually takes a drive just before the sunset and we love to carry some snacks in our car and have ice cream on the way. Sunsets have always been special for both of us.”

Love means family: Sushmita Sen, Deepika Padukone

Newlywed Deepika Padukone plans to celebrate the day of love by watching her husband’s film. “I think we will watch the movie Gully Boy and my parents are going to be in town. So I think I will spend the day with my parents,” she says.  Sushmita Sen who has been painting the town red with her beau Rohman Shawl believes that love shouldn’t be restricted to a single day. “I have a life filled with so much love and so many valentines. I have Alisah, Renne, Rohman, so I have a very busy life. I think love should be a part of every day of your life. Am I getting married? Someone needs to first ask me, you know.”

When love is a great partnership: Madhuri Dixit, Sonam Kapoor

Madhuri Dixit, broke many hearts when she married Sriram Nene. The talented actress was the ruling Queen of Bollywood at the time of her marriage and surprised everyone with this sudden announcement. Two decades later, her love story is still going strong. She says, “For me, love is all about standing by each other, especially during tough times. My husband has been a huge support and has always given me the space to pursue whatever I wanted. He has been my pillar of support so we have had a great partnership. Being a surgeon he believes life is too short and you should enjoy every moment. That’s what we try and do.”

Sonam Kapoor seconds this and adds that life hasn't changed much after marriage, thanks to her supportive husband Anand. “I am actually shooting for Zoya Factor on Valentine's Day. It’s my first Valentine’s Day after my marriage and I am not with my husband, unfortunately. My life has not changed a bit after marriage because I also have a supportive husband like Anand.”