Avika Gor, best known as Anandi from the TV show Balika Vadhu , recently got engaged to her longtime boyfriend, corporate professional Milind Chandwani , in a close-knit ceremony. She shares, “Milind is my soulmate. He is mature and balanced, and we waited for a long time to get engaged. It was his idea that we should get to know each other well, and that’s why we waited for many years. I wanted to keep it a low-key affair, and so there were only family members present.” She adds, “We’ll soon set a wedding date. We plan to get married by the end of this year.”
The couple has been in a long-distance relationship, with Milind based in Bengaluru and Avika in Mumbai. “It’s not easy. We both travel a lot for work. But I’ve learnt that a good companion is someone who’s also your best friend and supports your dreams. Milind has always been supportive. When people recognise me as Anandi and pull my cheeks, he clicks pictures — he’s proud of me. He brings stability to my spontaneous nature.” Post marriage, Avika has no plans to move to a different city. She said, “Just because my work is here, I would not want Milind to move to Mumbai either. I travel a lot for my South films, and Milind’s parents stay in Hyderabad, so that will give me a chance to spend time with them.”
‘Not a PR strategy’
The engagement coincides with their participation in a reality show based on couples. Ask her if it’s just a coincidence, and she says, “I didn’t want to announce the engagement because of the show, but then I thought, why not just go with it? It’s not a PR strategy, just a coincidence.” Along with her acting projects, Avika turned producer with the Telugu film Popcorn. “Just like my engagement, my production house is a dream come true. I’m happy with the path I’ve carved in showbiz,” she signs off.