It’s a winter wedding for Sagarika-zaheer

Ever since Chak De! India actor Sagarika Ghatge and cricketer Zaheer Khan made their relationship public on social media, on April 24, speculation on their wedding date has been rife. Now, in an exclusive chat with us, Sagarika says, “The wedding is definitely going to happen towards the end of this year. Though no date has been fixed as of now, I’m quite looking forward to getting married.” Following a very private betrothal, the couple had a star-studded engagement party after IPL Season 10. Preparations for a normal Indian wedding begin almost a year in advance, but this celebrity couple haven’t even started their trousseau shopping. “You won’t believe it, but nothing has started yet… no shopping, no venue [booking]… and that’s the stressful part, because when we talk about it, we realise that time is moving so fast. We’ll have more clarity on what exactly we’re doing and how in a few weeks from now,” she says. So, how are they enjoying the courtship? “Well, I never really dreamed of anything as such,” she laughs. “I’m somebody who goes pretty much with the flow. And till now, everything has been nice and smooth sailing.” While most women would say that a man in a relationship changes a bit after the couple becomes committed, Sagarika feels that Zaheer is just the same. “He’s the same caring, loving and protective person that he always has been. Of course, now there’re so many more topics we have to talk about as a family. Only those things have changed.” Asked if her family or friends ever pointed out the uncanny coincidence that she dated a cricketer in both her reel and real lives — her character dates a famous cricketer in Chake De! India and then dumps him for being sexist — Sagarika quips, “Before my family could even react, I started relating to it, because people had written so much about it. Much later, my family [also] realised, ‘Oh yeah, there was a resemblance.’”

With [Zaheer], the reason I feel most connected is that he understands me. Definitely, he’s a friend first, and everything [else] later SAGARIKA GHATGE, ACTOR

PHOTO: INSTAGRAM/ SAGARIKAGHATGE