Hiten Tejwani: Our kids are excited to see us together on screen

In the early 2000s Hiten Tejwani and Gauri Pradhan were among the mostloved couples on television The duo who first featured together in an ad soon headlined Kutumb That was the beginning of their success story Those who missed their magic then can witness it in PashminnamdashDhaage Mohabbat Ke The two actors are returning to the screen after eight years with the love story midday caught up with the pair on the showrsquos set to discuss the experience of working together again and how they keep their romance alive after being married for 19 yearsEdited excerpts from the interviewWhatrsquos your secret to keeping the romance alive in your marriageGauri Pradhan We understand each other and give one another space We are not into each other all the time I am a person who needs her space He is entertaining with him going nonstop I donrsquot need to switch on my television laughs When you are in a relationship your partner changes you While I am still a quiet and reserved person it has changed to a degree because of Hiten and the kids The credit goes to him for keeping the romance aliveHiten Tejwani Love is shown not only by saying it every day but by doing things for each other Understanding and supporting one another play a big role I know that she is doing whatever she can for the kids as a mother while I am constantly on shoots All I have to do is be there for herYou both are stark opposites of each other What was that one common point of attractionGP There is no similarity between us be it in terms of our background or families Now my parents dote on himHT On the set I saw everybody talking to each other If I talked to a girl she would respond It was easy that way Irsquod ask for her number or probably a date But she didnrsquot look at anybody and was buried in her bookWas taking a sabbatical always on the cards for youGP I had decided that Irsquod take a sabbatical after having kids Thatrsquos why we waited a long time to have kids because we wanted to work and travel When they happened I totally wanted to be with themHave your kids watched your showsHT No but the kids are excited to see us together on screen in Pashminna For this generation usually everything is cringey Irsquove shown them our first ad together The way I see it some of their friends will eventually tell them about their famous parents At that time everybody will sit down together watch our shows and probably laugh at us or appreciate our livesTell us about your characters in PashminnaHT There are a lot of layers to Avinash It is an interesting character because he is a part of all the twists and turns in the storylineGP I play a single mother to Pashminna Isha Sharma but we are more like sisters While I give her the freedom to be who she is my only advice to her is to not fall for a tourist Itrsquos a unique relationshipHow does it feel reuniting on screenGP Fans have been keen to see us together on screen Wersquove also been waiting for a long time to find something unique Pashminna is a riveting love story and it was exactly what we were looking forWhat is it like to shoot in KashmirHT I am shooting here for the first time Kashmir is a beautiful place the air is so fresh and clearGP I had shot for a show called Noorjahan with Siddharthrsquos P Malhotra Pashminna producer father in Kashmir It was just a oneweek schedule We shot the aesthetically scenic parts in the Mughal Gardens and Nishat Bagh Back then Kashmir was not a commercial tourist hub as it has become now But the warmth of the place hasnrsquot changed