Ishaan Khatter recalls his 'filmi' first love story; says, "it started with a fight..."

Ishaan Khatter, who has been linked to Malaysian model Chandni Bainz since 2023, usually keeps his personal life out of the spotlight. But in a recent interview, the actor opened up about matters of the heart and shared details about his first relationship.

Talking about the idea of “opposites attract”, a theme also seen in his latest project The Royals, Ishaan recalled his teenage love story that started with a heated argument in class and blossomed into a sweet high school romance.

In an interview with News18 Showsha, Ishaan recalled his first high school romance. He described it as his first true love and admitted that when it ended, it felt like his world had fallen apart. "It was a sweet sixteen romance that started with us literally insulting each other! We had the fight in front of the whole classroom. We then had a debate after which, I told myself, ‘She’s cute though!’ And then Cupid struck, he added."

Off To A Fiery Start
While speaking about his first relationship, the 'Dhadak' actor clarified that it didn’t exactly begin with hate. He said, “Hate is a strong emotion but it’s a very thin line."

However, he honestly pointed out that many men still struggle with the idea of having a powerful woman as a partner. He added that even though some men claim they’re comfortable with such women, their reactions often change when deeper conversations begin, revealing their discomfort. "The second it starts becoming a conversation, you can see them becoming a little thorny," the actor stated.

Adding more, he shared that his respect for strong women comes from being raised by one, his mother, Neelima Azeem. He praised her for raising him and his elder brother, Shahid Kapoor, on her own while managing her career as an actor and dancer. Despite the challenges of being a single mother, Ishaan feels she handled everything with grace and strength.

He also revealed that being raised by a single mother shaped his perspective on women. He’s grown up seeing his mother manage both work and family on her own, raising two sons while also being the main provider. Reflecting on his new show The Royals, he mentioned that it promotes equality between men and women without trying to show one as stronger than the other. For him, it's about seeing both as equals and real individuals beyond appearances.

For those who may not know, Neelima Azeem has been married three times, with each marriage ending in divorce. Her first marriage was to actor Pankaj Kapur, with whom she has a son, Shahid Kapoor. The couple divorced in 1984. She later married Rajesh Khatter, and they have a son, Ishaan Khatter. Their relationship ended in 2001. Neelima’s third marriage was to classical vocalist Ustad Raza Ali Khan, but they, too, parted ways in 2009.


Professionally, Ishaan Khatter’s next film 'Homebound' is gearing up for a major milestone, it will compete at the prestigious Cannes International Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard category.