BENGALURU: Valentine’s Day is here, and Garden City has opened its arms to embrace love. With various events happening throughout the city, the primary signifiers are all in play and the people have awakened to sense it. But some Valentine’s Days are more equal than others, which is precisely the case for actor Shubra Aiyappa.
Surprisingly the travel buff and actor, who recently tied the knot with city-based entrepreneur Vishal Sivappa in an intimate wedding ceremony on January 18, is in the city for V-day.
“Honestly, everyone has been asking us why we are still in town. We have plans of travelling to Europe but once the weather there gets better. Maybe during the summer,” says Aiyappa.
Aiyappa, who shares a penchant for many things, feels now is the perfect time to experiment with everything and be a jack of all trades.
“I believe we are living in a time where we have the freedom to dabble in many things. There is no need to be stereotyped or be typecast into any specific category. I recently had a film release (Thimayya & Thimayya) and will continue shooting in Chennai very soon. A new thing I tried was anchoring the Celebrity Cricket League (CCL). I have a tendency to talk fast and maybe that made them pick me (laughs). But I had a great time hosting the entire event,” shares Aiyappa, who is looking forward to beginning her teacher training in yoga in Mysuru.
Presently, she awaits the release of her Kannada film Ramana Avatara, currently being filmed. Presently in a new phase of life post the wedding, she has been enjoying her time with her husband and in-laws. Speaking of the couple, they first laid eyes on one another at a mutual friend’s birthday party in the US, five years ago.
“I saw him for the first time back when I was in film school in New York. I found him attractive and he did the same but nothing really happened then. Later, he noticed my photo in his friend’s (who happened to be my cousin) social media and voiced that he wanted to ask me out. When we went out for the first time, during dinner, he actually told me he would marry me one day. I thought that was such a crazy statement to make but here we are, married three years later,” she says.
“My first impression of Vishal was, not to sound arrogant, that he was so handsome. He was, by far, one of the nicest-looking guys I had seen. But as I got to know him more I found him to be kind and generous. He is compassionate and maybe that made me fall for him because I come from a family where kindness is prioritised over all else.
That quality of him is what kept us going even when things got difficult,” says Aiyappa about her spouse, who hails from a family of coffee plantation owners in Kodagu. Both of them being health conscious, the couple has always prioritised healthy living.
“I have been modelling since I was 17 so workouts have pretty much comprised my entire life. It’s not just about looking good. It is a bonus but I enjoy feeling healthy. And Vishal is someone who works out like an actor. We do work out together and that is always fun,” she concludes.