Valentine’s Day 2025: Celebrities from Hyderabad tell us what love means to them

Nikhil Siddhartha: ‘Love is complex’

There are films, books, poems and songs about love but nobody has been able to completely define love. When I met my wife, with every passing day I fell more in love with her. After I had a son, my love grew even greater. When I look into that little guy’s eyes, I am in love. Spending time with your beloved is most important; I feel bad for long-distance couples for this reason. Whenever I finish my shoot, I rush back home to spend time with my wife. The cuddles, the hugs, and the memories that we make together are the biggest gifts we give to each other. Valentine’s Day is a great day to express love and do something special for your beloved, like cooking food for them or surprising them with gifts. But sometimes, there is huge pressure to gift expensive things. I’d like to say that it is the inexpensive things that matter the most. After someone dies, their brain remains active for seven minutes, during which it recalls all the good memories. I want to fill my brain with the memories of love.

Payal Rajput : ‘Pyaar dosti hai’

To me, love is rooted in respect, followed closely by friendship. After all, ‘Pyaar dosti hai’. I believe that while everything else may fade over time, friendship keeps the relationship vibrant and alive. If we aren’t best friends, we can’t truly fall in love. For me, love is a deep connection built on understanding, trust and respect. It is a space where I don’t have to fake anything; I am highly expressive when it comes to showing love in any relationship. I enjoy sharing my feelings, as it is crucial to let the other person know how much they mean to me. But sometimes I suffer because I can be quite emotional in the relationship.

Jamie Lever : ‘Love is a big bartan full of biryani’

Love is selflessness, kindness, comfort, trust, safety, security, warmth, freedom, honesty, happiness, no judgement and no competition. If you feel this in the presence of a person, that is love. I’m big on acts of service, surprises and saying positive things to uplift the people I love. That is how I express my love. They could also be part of my comedy set so we can laugh together about things…but of course, not mock the person much! Love is a big bartan full of biryani, with meat, the sweetness of tomatoes and yogurt, some heat from the spices, and strength from the rice. But overall, it gives you comfort and satisfaction. Stand-up comedy is also love — I love making people laugh and this makes my parents proud.

Geetha Madhuri: ‘Love means attachment’

The true meaning of love is unconditional love and attachment. Love also means responsibility, in the sense that you feel responsible for the other person. I express my love by sharing deep conversations. In love, you feel happy for your beloved’s success and sad whenever they are sad. And it is terrible when your loved one is sad; of course you don’t want them to feel upset, so you always find a way to motivate them and make them smile wide!

(Story by Shreya Veronica)