Kamal Ghorui
When Neha Dhupia and Angad Bedi got married in an intimate gurudwara ceremony in 2018, it caught many off guard. The two had never publicly acknowledged their relationship, so the sudden wedding quickly became a topic of discussion. Just six months later, the arrival of their daughter Mehr led to widespread curiosity about the timeline of their relationship. Now, the couple has spoken candidly about their journey, sharing how a long-standing friendship and an unexpected pregnancy brought them together.During a conversation on Bharti Singh and Harsh Limbachiya’s podcast, Angad revealed that his feelings for Neha had been one-sided for years. “I was after Neha for 8 years. I kept going after her all that time, but she never said yes, she was very busy,” he said.He also recalled the moment he first noticed her. “When I saw her for the first time, I thought she was very beautiful. She was running on a treadmill and I was standing behind, just watching and thinking, what amazing form. I fell in love with her running form. I was like, she’s an athlete.”At the time, Neha was deeply focused on her career and not actively seeking a relationship. “I used to think I have to wake up, exercise, go to work—my entire focus was on work. It wasn’t like I only wanted to focus on work, but if I met someone interesting along the way, that was fine,” she shared.Angad even tried to bridge the gap by collaborating professionally. “She asked me to do a film with her and said there would be no narration, just show up. I went. I spent time with her on set, but her mother was also there. I ended up spending a lot of time with her mom. I thought, if her mother is so nice, she must be nice too,” he said.Despite his efforts, he struggled to get her attention. “There were 5-6 interesting people around her. I wasn’t even in her peripheral vision,” Angad admitted, adding that even her parents were supportive. “I went to her parents and they said, ‘We are okay, ask her.’ But she kept me on the side for years.”What ultimately changed everything was their pregnancy, which both describe as a turning point in their story. “I want to say thank God we got pregnant, she is the blessing that brought the love story,” Neha said. “Otherwise, you keep looking around. The love you’re searching for is right next to you, but we always look far away. He was right there next to me the whole time.”She further added, “It was our daughter who got us together because we were pregnant we were like just do it. The whole universe came together first for him, then for me, then for us.”Angad lightened the mood with a joke about his place in her life, saying, “I’m in the top five of her priority list—first the kids, then work, then parents, then home, then me.” Neha responded with a smile, “Priority one is family, priority two is work and me.”In a separate chat with Peeping Moon, Neha addressed the speculation directly. “Let me set the record straight, yes I was pregnant before I got married so its fine.” Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, she also recalled how the news took even her close friends by surprise. “At that point there was just chaos, I was pregnant.” She revealed that while she couldn’t invite Soha Ali Khan to the wedding, the actor was among the first to know about her pregnancy.Reflecting on that phase, Neha admitted that her relationship with Angad was still new. “You are also like… not married, you barely dated the guy. This information, no matter how unorthodox or orthodox you are, it’s just easier to share it with your friends, and friends who have just had a baby as opposed to telling your parents. It’s a tough one to have.”
