ANKIT’S FRIENDS DIDN’T EXPECT AN ARRANGED MATCH

The singer of many romantic hits says his friends refused to believe the news of his marriage

Music composer and singer Ankit Tiwari is on a high on both fronts — personal and professional. On one hand, he has just come out with a new single featuring Amy Jackson, and on the other hand, he has taken a big leap in his personal life. He has got married to Pallavi Shukla, a Lucknow-based girl whom Ankit’s grandmother met on a train.

Ankit’s friends were not expecting him to agree to an arranged marriage. Why? Ankit reveals, “Everyone thought that since I sing these romantic songs, I will definitely fall in love with someone and then go for a love marriage! When I told my friends that I was getting married, they refused to believe me,” laughs the 32-year old, who has sung hits such as ‘Sunn raha hai na’ (Aashiqui 2; 2013), ‘Teri galliyan’ (Ek Villain; 2014) and ‘Tu hai ke nahi’ (Roy; 2015).

Soon after his wedding, Ankit went to Vaishno Devi, Jammu and Kashmir, with his entire family to seek blessings. Although it was a traditional wedding replete with Hindu customs, Ankit shares that the reception had a surprise in store for everyone: just like him, his wife had a melodious voice. “When we used to talk on the phone before the wedding, Pallavi would sing a few lines. That’s where I got to know about her interest in music. At the reception, we both sang duets, but none of the songs were mine. She doesn’t like listening to modern music. She prefers old songs, that of Lata [Mangeshkar] ji and Kishore [Kumar] da. I might not remember the lyrics of their songs, but she knows it all,” reveals Ankit.

Since he is always busy juggling his work commitments and live shows, has Pallavi complained, at any point, that he doesn’t spend enough time with his family? “Abhi complaint nahi aa sakti (It’s too early to complain). She hasn’t seen my schedule yet, but I am sure those emotions will appear with time,” Ankit says, laughing.

Singer Ankit Tiwari with his wife, Pallavi