Shibani Dandekar reacts to ‘love jihad’ and ‘gold digger’ comments following interfaith marriage with Farhan Akhtar

Farhan Akhtar, Shibani Dandekar Pic/Instagram

Actor and television presenter Shibani Dandekar along with her actor-filmmaker husband Farhan Akhtar graced close friend Rhea Chakraborty's podcast ‘Chapter 2' for its latest episode. The couple, who has been married for over two years got candid about their relationship. In one of the segments, Shibani reacted to the negative comments she received during her courtship with Farhan.

Shibani Dandekar reacts to ‘love jihad' and ‘gold digger' comments

Shibani said, "When I started my relationship with Farhan, people used to say these two things to me- ‘love jihad and gold digger'. What am I supposed to do with that? I am not going to cry myself to bed because people are saying these things. I am not a gold digger, and the truth of the matter is that he does come from a Muslim home, and I do come from a Hindu home, we got married, and we are very happy with our marriage. That's the reality of our situation. So, people can say whatever they want about us, it is what it is."

Shibani Dandekar on being questioned about her journey

"I get comments like, ‘Who is she?', ‘Who was she before marrying Farhan Akhtar?' and I am going to sit and read that comment, and think ‘S''t, have I done anything with my life, was I anybody before I married him?' or do I know I lived a whole 39 years before I met him. Am I going to believe some random person or am I going to believe my own journey? There is also a difference between what is true and what someone is saying to get at you, to cut you off the knees, to feel like you don't matter, to put you in a position where you feel weak. To be able to understand and decipher that is very important," she added.

Shibani Dandekar and Farhan Akhtar's relationship

Farhan and Shibani, who dated for almost three years, tied the knot at Farhan's family farmhouse in Khandala in the presence of close friends and family members on February 19, 2022. Farhan was previously married to celebrity hairstylist Adhuna Bhabani. The two got married in 2000 and parted ways in 2017. They are parents to two daughters Shakya and Akira.