Actor Chunky Panday and Bhavana Pandey have been married for 27 years, and their love for each other is as strong as ever. Their playful banter and affection have been on full display in the show Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives, where they married each other for a second time.
“I think ours was less a love story and more of a friendship story,” chuckles Chunky, adding, “We dated each other for a year and a half, and then I popped the question to her.”
Bhavana chimes in, “I was very young when I met him. He was older and I guess absolutely ready to settle down. What really attracted me was he was really charming, good looking, and made me laugh. We had a lot of fun together, like you would with your best friend. But besides all this, I saw a very kind, empathetic side to him. He was very close to his parents, his brother, which also showed a side to him which was endearing.”
Looking back at their early days together, their first Valentine’s Day after marriage was spent enjoying a dinner at a five-star hotel in Mumbai. Reflecting on their relationship, Chunky reveals a key “golden rule” that has helped them stay strong through the years. “We gossip like friends, fight like friends, but the rule is even if we have a difference of opinion — and we have a lot of it, it’s healthy — we never go to sleep with that problem. We always resolve it the same day, even if it is a big issue. Once, it continued till the next day, and it was unpleasant. We reach a decision the same day now, and another golden rule is Bhavana is always right!”
With the rise of dating apps and love now just a tap away, Bhavana shares her thoughts on love and relationships in today’s world. “I think the feeling of love can never change, whatever generation you come from. I think it’s the accessibility that’s changed. We could only speak to each other over landlines, hide from parents and couldn’t wait to see each other… today with video calls, social media, and so many other options, the experience is not the same.”
Leave a Reply