Their personalities might be like fire and ice, but when they join forces as a couple, they are two peas in a pod. Actors Ashok Selvan and Keerthi Pandian, the newly wedded couple of the Tamil film industry, who managed to keep their relationship a top secret for almost a decade, have been breaking the internet ever since they got hitched in an intimate ceremony last September.
Their story is a testimony to the adage ‘opposites attract’. While Keerthi is gregarious and has the gift of gab, Ashok Selvan calls himself an introvert and is a man of few words. Keerthi’s family breaks into a gala celebration on every momentous occasion, but Ashok’s family opts for intimate dos. Together, the dynamic duo inspire each other to reach for the stars and beyond.
Be it taking unsavoury trolls head on, shooting down odious colourism remarks, giving us some major travel goals from exotic locales or scorching the screen as reel-life couple Ranjith and Anandhi in their recently released film, Blue Star, the uber-talented partners surely know how to make heads turn with every move.
Even as they bask in the accolades pouring in for their performances in the Pa Ranjith production, the love birds have jetted off on a holiday, far away from the maddening city life and arc lights.
The vivacious couple gets candid with Indulge about their first film together, their enchanting love saga, how they inspire each other and more in this no-holds-barred conversation. Excerpts...
How was the experience appearing together onscreen for the first time in Blue Star?
Ashok: It was a lot of fun working with her because she is a good actor apart from being my partner.
Keerthi: We have discussed so much about acting and films in all these years that it was exhilarating to work with him as a co-star.
Does being in a relationship help the chemistry translate onscreen as well as it did in the film?
Ashok: I think it does to a large extent. We were madly in love during the shooting of Blue Star. And that served as an impetus for the love scenes, songs, montages and even the pathos in the respective characters.
Keerthi: We were quite comfortable with each other. However, it was only after the release of the film and the way audiences received it that I was able to perceive how our love transcended into the characters.
Both of you have been in the industry for a while now. Which is your favourite film of each other and why?
Ashok: My favourite film of Keerthi is Anbirkiniyal (remake of the Malayalam film, Helen). I find remakes more difficult than creating a character for the first time because someone has already played the part and you need to bring in your touch to the character. Keerthi did a fantastic job in Anbirkiniyal.
Keerthi: For me, it has to be Blue Star. And that’s not because I am a part of the film. Ashok breathed life into the character of Ranjith. He thoroughly enjoyed playing the role and that metamorphosed onto the screen.
Your love story dates back a decade ago. How did you manage to keep it under wraps?
Ashok: I think the media was linking me with almost every actress I had worked with, except for my real-life love. It was a cakewalk for me because I keep my personal life private. When I headed out, I would wear a cap, sunglasses and mask to avoid getting attention.
Keerthi: It was not a conscious decision, but we did not want to grab eyeballs. In fact, only our closest friends knew about our relationship. Because both of us wanted it that way, it wasn’t difficult at all.
Were you able to hit it off instantly on your first date?
Keerthi: Ok, let me answer that question. We hit it off even before the first date, and that’s how we planned our first meeting. I had to get back to the office and complete some work regarding a film release. Since our lunch date went well, we decided to have ice cream after that. And I told him that I was free all day!
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You had revealed that you had separated briefly after the initial years of dating. What made you
come back to each other?
Ashok: I think you need to take some time off to value what you have. For me, wherever I go, I have to come back home. And Keerthi was home.
Keerthi: In my case, there was no coming back as such. I always knew this was meant to be. But, we decided to take our time and focus on work and ourselves.
How did you break the news to your families?
Ashok: I asked my parents to sit on the couch and told them that I wanted to get married to Keerthi. My parents were ecstatic because they like her. They didn’t even bat an eyelid and said, ‘very good’.
Keerthi: I broke the news over my birthday dinner. When the cake arrived, I announced that I had said ‘yes’ to a marriage proposal. They began screaming at the top of their voices and in an instant, the entire restaurant knew that I was going to get married! My father was happy, and tears welled up in my mother’s eyes.
Tell us about the grand proposal.
Ashok: I usually don’t find time to plan because there’s so much happening at work. But this time around, I decided to plan a trip for her. We went to Andaman and the entire trip was curated to her taste. There was stargazing, scuba diving, seaside dinner and sunset watching. And then I proposed to her.
Keerthi: It was too dramatic and beautiful at the same time. The ring he gave me was made of a gemstone I had coveted for years. He got it engraved as well.
Who makes up first after a fight?
Ashok: If I figure out that I’m in the wrong, I apologise. And sometimes it’s her.
It’s almost ten years of togetherness. What keeps your relationship going?
Keerthi: I think we just enjoy waking up with the feeling of having a companion and everything around the person — the good, bad and ugly. We’re always discovering something new about each other.
Ashok: There is a lot of love and respect as well.
Soon after the wedding, there was a barrage of trolls. What was going on in your mind at that point of time?
Ashok: We were having the time of our lives. It didn’t even bother us. Whatever people troll or say, it comes from their level of understanding of life, love and beauty.
Keerthi: I didn’t even know about it until someone pointed it out to me. I was enjoying being newly married. In fact, Ashok’s social media post (in which he called Keerthi the most beautiful woman in the world) came as a surprise to me. Like he said, people say things based on how they look at themselves.
Lastly, how are you planning to ring in your first Valentine’s Day as a married couple?
Ashok: I think it will be a surprise to both of us as we rarely plan. We will figure out something on that day.
Keerthi: Spur-of-the-moment plans work for us.
Ashok: We are already on a Valentine’s Day holiday, it’s just that we are doing it a few days in advance.
Styling: Ragambiga
Keerthi's Outfit: Geethika Kanumilli
Ashok's Outfit: Vivek Karunakaran and H&M
Photography: Arun Gnanavel, Palaniappan Subramanyam and Tarun Koliyot
Makeup: Sofia and Dhanam
Hair: Manikandan
Earrings: St Erasmus
Footwear: The Madras Trunk
Co ordination: Rabbeqa Iqbal
You can contact the writer over email at sangeetha.p@newindianexpress.com and follow her on X @psangeetha2112