Veer proposed to me the day I returned home from Bigg Boss house: Namitha

Her announcement to tie the knot with beau Veerandra Chowdhary, a producer and an entrepreneur, came as a pleasant surprise for her fans, but Namitha tells us that she didn’t feel the need to wait for months together to get married once she was sure she had found her soulmate. The actress tied the knot with Veer, as she fondly calls her husband, on November 24, in Tirupati, in a private ceremony attended only by family and a few friends from the industry.We caught up with the couple for a casual chat. Here’s an excerpt from our conversation:
So, was it love at first sight?
Namitha: (Laughs) Ours is a simple story. We were introduced by Shashi garu, a common friend of ours. He felt that we were both similar in many ways and that we should catch up over a cup of coffee. When we first met, there was nothing beyond friendship. Actually, during our first meeting, he spoke to me in length about topics that interest me, like global consciousness and spirituality. Our life goals, our belief in spirituality and our mindset were similar. I actually texted Shashi garu, asking if he had prepared Veer by telling him what topics interest me. I was surprised how we could have similar taste in almost everything. We started talking and soon became good friends. In the meantime, I got an opportunity to be part of Bigg Boss Tamil. I have never stayed away from my family and when this offer came, it was he who encouraged me and said he’d be with me and by my family’s side, no matter what. He actually proposed to me the night I returned from the house. He’d come to know in the morning that I was going to be evicted and came home. He was well prepared and had everything ready. When he said he loved me, I got very emotional. I’d known him for a year, but I felt like I’ve known him for a lifetime. We first met on September 6, 2016, and one year later, he proposed marriage. It was a dream-like journey for me.
Given your popularity in the industry, why did you choose to have a low-key wedding?
Namitha: We both are like that! What I do on screen and how I behave on screen, that’s not me in real life. If I wasn’t doing a movie, you’d have hardly heard any news or scandal about me. He wanted our wedding to be an intimate affair as well. We had 60 of our closest family and friends, people who matter to us, at our wedding.
What quality of each other do you admire the most?
Namitha: I believe that eyes are the window to a person’s soul. His are gentle and genuine.
Veer: She is honest and doesn’t change her stand according to people or person. I don’t need anyone else’s opinion to shape my opinion of her. She’s the same all the time. She loves unconditionally and is simple, not the Billa girl we see on screen.
So, who is the impulsive and the most romantic one among the two of you?
Namitha: My friends know that I love chocolate chip cookies. So once, he just dropped by and gave me a box of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies that he made at home. But more than anything, the way he proposed to me on the beach was the most romantic moment for me. I was not prepared for it at all. I’d like to think that I’m pretty smart and can catch people when they are up to something. But I was totally stumped that time. I was flabbergasted and started crying when I should actually have been responding to him.
Veer: I cook for her and she eats whatever I cook without complaining (laughs). But what touched me the most is her act of gifting me things whenever I do something good. She buys me shirts or accessory as a way of congratulating or appreciating me.
Has marriage changed you?
Namitha: Not at all; except for the thaali and the toe rings, nothing has really changed. People who know me know that I feel uncomfortable with any kind of neckpiece. So, wearing these signs of marriage is very different. But touchwood, my husband and in-laws don’t pressure me into succumbing to norms. They don’t force me to wear sindoor on my forehead or say that I should only wear sari because I’m a married woman. We both tied the knot because we found our life partner in each other and because we complete each other. So, whatever we do, it’s out of our own accord.
Veer: Nothing has changed for me either. We have been really good friends and will continue to remain so. I guess that’s what makes our life interesting.

In the industry, marital status sometimes defines the role an actress gets…
Namitha: My career doesn’t define or dictate my life. My career can only state that I am an actress. It doesn’t have the right to decide my social life. I have had three heartbreaks, so I know how important it is to find the right person with whom you can lead your life. When I met him and he wanted to get married, I found no reason to delay it. In fact, if he hadn’t proposed to me, I would have asked him to marry me sooner or later!
You’ve not really spoken much about your experience inside the Bigg Boss house. Were you prepared for the backlash?
Namitha: I’m an adventurous person. So, when I got the offer, I knew it would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I’d heard a lot about it being fixed, scripted and how people cheat inside the house. I had full faith in me, not in the channel. Media can play a huge role in shaping your image, irrespective of how good or bad you are. I know I have been truthful to myself. Once I came out of the house, I saw how things were being manipulated and lines were being edited. What you saw was just the half-truth. Only I know what the entire truth is. You can love me or hate me, but that is not going to change my view or my way of living. I’m stubborn and I will never bow down if I know I am right. They can portray an angel-like person as devil or a devil as an angel, but that will not change reality. They should call it a game show, not a reality show. Becaus e they are not showing reality but made-up reality. If they really want to do it, they should show what happens inside the house 24 hours!