While he made his breakthrough as Gokul Pandit in Dushman (1988) and even today, watching him on-screen in his villainous roles sends a shiver down our spines, she became an ideal bahu with her role in Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994). While we had loved to hate his on-screen characters, she had charmed us with her simplicity. Contrary to their on-screen personas, while he is a demure man in real life, she is known for not mincing her words and veraciously speaking on issues. Ashutosh Rana and Renuka Shahane are such personalities of B-town, who had strived and successfully achieved becoming ‘actors’ instead of ‘stars’. (Also Read: Soha Ali Khan Showers Bhabhi, Kareena Kapoor Khan With Lots Of Love And Praises On Her 40th Birthday)
Different personalities but one soul, Ashutosh Rana and Renuka Shahane are a match made in heaven and their love story is nothing less than a Bollywood one. Renuka and Ashutosh had completed 19 years of married life in 2020 and to mark the same, the former had posted a lovely wish on her IG handle. Renuka had posted an all-smiling throwback picture from their wedding and had captioned it as "You and I....what a beautiful world....19 years ago today.... love eternal @ashutosh_ramnarayan."
advertisement
On September 20, 2020, in the episode of The Kapil Sharma Show, Ashutosh Rana and Renuka Shahane spilt some beans on their relationship and how love had blossomed between them more than two decades ago. Renuka and Ashutosh had first met on the premiere of Hansal Mehta’s debut directorial, Jayate and recalling the moment, the latter revealed, “Hansal Mehta ki film ‘Jayate’ ka preview tha Sumit theatre mei toh mai Rajeshwari Sachdev aur Tejaswini Kolhapure ko sath lekar gaya. Vahan gaye toh pata chala Rajeshwari aur Renuka ji bahut ache dost the aur mai Renuka ji ka prashansak tha.”
Moving forward in the story of the premier night, Ashutosh Rana revealed how and why Renuka Shahane had declined his offer to drop her home. Ashutosh said,"Sailaab (serial) uss time aa rha tha aur inki film Hum Aapke Hain Koun bhi aa gayi thi toh mai inke kaam se mutassir tha. Bada prabhavit tha. Jab inse mulakaat hui toh hum takreeban aadhe ghanta tak aapas mei baat karte rhe aur kaaafi humare vichar mil rahe the. Aur bahar nikle jab hum raat mei, uss din Itwaar tha. Maine pucha aap kahan rehti hain? Toh inhone kaha mai Dadar rehti hun. Toh maine pucha aap kaise jaengi? Aapke pass car nahi hai? Toh ye boli ki nahi aaj Itvaar hai toh Itvaar ko hum apne staff ko chutti dete hain. Aur mai gaadi chalana nahi jaanti. Humne inse kaha ki mai aapko chodh du? Inhone merse pucha ki aap kahan rehte hain? Maine kaha mai Chembur rehta hun. Toh inhone merse kaha ki mai Mumbai mei pali badi hun, janam mera yahan hua hai, maine aaj tak koi aisa raasta nahi dekha jo Juhu se via Dadar Chembur jata ho. Fir inhone mujhe kaha aap pareshaan na hoiye meri aadat hai mai chali jaungi.” (Also Read: Anurag Kashyap's Ex-Wife Kalki Koechlin Slams Sexual Assault Claims Against Him With A Powerful Note)
Narrating what happened further, Ashutosh Rana said that director, Ravi Rai had wanted to do a show with him and Renuka Shahane. So, Ashutosh had taken this opportunity to ask Ravi for Renuka’s number but the director had told him that she doesn’t answer calls from unknown numbers and also not after 10 pm. Keeping in mind these protocols, Ashutosh had left a message on her answering machine wishing her for Dussehra but he had also refrained from sharing his contact number. Ashutosh had thought that if Renuka wanted to talk to him, she would try to find his number. As destiny was in his favour, Renuka had thanked him for the wishes but through his sister. For three months, Renuka and Ashutosh had played ‘phone a friend’. Ashutosh had elaborated, “Maine usi din raat ko 10:30 baje inhe call kardia aur kaha Thank you Renuka ji aapne apna number de dia. Aur aise teen mahine hum phone a friend khelte rahe.”
Continue reading below
After a few months of knowing each other, Ashutosh Rana had decided to propose Renuka Shahane with a poem, which had required an answer in the end. While Ashutosh had admired the art of poetry, Renuka had loved prose. So, Ashutosh had penned a poem for Renuka with a hope to get a reply if her answer would be a ‘yes’ and even if she wasn’t interested in him, there wasn’t a scope of rejection. Though, he had feared being rejected. When Ashutosh was shooting in Hyderabad, Renuka was in Goa for different projects, he had narrated the poem to her and after taking a pause, she had replied that she loves him too. Then in a rather stern response, Ashutosh had said, “Aap laut kar aaiye fir iss vishay par or baat karenge.” And rest as they say is history!
Renuka Shahane also revealed which was the first film shoot she had seen of Ashutosh Rana after they had started dating. In a promo shared by Kapil Sharma on his IG handle, Renuka had said on the show, “Hum jab date karne lage na, tab pehli shoot maine jo inki dekhi vo Sangharsh thi. Us waqt vo keh rahe the ki ‘Main insaan nahi hu’.” This left everyone in splits. (Also Read: 5 Times Kareena Kapoor Khan Had Broken Stereotypes During Her First Pregnancy And Became Inspiration)
Renuka and Ashutosh have been living their happily ever after since then, and we wish them many more such years of togetherness and love!
advertisement
advertisement
advertisement
