'Folks got married, some of us made kids': Nakuul Mehta walks down memory lane as Ishqbaaz completes 10 years

A decade ago, Ishqbaaaz arrived on Indian television and quickly carved a space in the hearts of viewers with its mix of romance, family drama and memorable characters. At the center of it all was Nakuul Mehta as Shivaay Singh Oberoi, a character whose charm and complexity resonated deeply with fans. Over the years, the show has not only remained relevant through reruns and streaming but has also built a loyal fanbase that continues to celebrate it long after its original run ended.

As Ishqbaaaz completes ten years, Nakuul Mehta marked the milestone with a deeply personal note on social media, sharing glimpses from his time on the sets and reflecting on the journey that changed his life. The actor revealed that the wave of nostalgia hit him unexpectedly during a recent flight to Jaipur, when strangers reminded him of the show’s lasting impact. He began by writing, “A bunch of random good people I ran into on my way to a flight to Jaipur this morning congratulated me on ten years to a show which defined love for them. Given how chaotic early morning flights can be.. it wasn’t until I rested my back on my Indigo seat did a bunch memories come rushing back and I ended up rummaging my phone for photographic evidence. (cause who even are we without them?)”

That spontaneous interaction set off a chain of memories for the actor, taking him back to the very beginning of Ishqbaaaz. Reflecting on the passage of time, he noted how surreal it feels that ten years have gone by, even though the first day of shooting still feels fresh in his mind. “A decade can be a long time measured in passage of time. But strangely our first day of filming seems pretty vivid in my head. On a burning afternoon in the outskirts of Mumbai with a crew of over 200 people. I spent the larger part of the day waiting in my van until shot was called closer to midnight. Strangely never have i felt as self assured on the first day of anything,” he shared.

A bunch of random good people I ran into on my way to a flight to Jaipur this morning congratulated me on ten years to a show which defined love for them. Given how chaotic early morning flights can be.. it wasn’t until I rested my back on my Indigo seat did a bunch memories come rushing back and I ended up rummaging my phone for photographic evidence. (cause who even are we without them?)

- Nakuul Mehta

Nakuul also opened up about how deeply he had internalized the character of Shivaay even before filming officially began. Having shot a pilot months earlier, he explained that the process of discovering the character continued subconsciously in his everyday life. “Some of it could have been owing to the fact that we shot a pilot for this many months ago & since then the exploration to find Shivaay continued in my subconscious even as i went about my daily life. His gait, his resting look, his rhythm, eccentricities and the way he’d hold his phone. Cut back to the first day of filming, circa April 23rd, 2016.. We did a few takes of the walk with the brothers and almost magically it seemed to come together for everyone on the monitor.”

While the first day stood out as a defining moment, the years that followed seemed to blur into a whirlwind of episodes, scenes and shared experiences. The actor described how the show’s journey felt both intense and fleeting at the same time. “The rest of it however seems like 3 years were crunched up into a few multiple hundred episodes which unto this day continues to find newer and a lot of repeat audiences given how streaming has made television immortal.”

Some of it could have been owing to the fact that we shot a pilot for this many months ago & since then the exploration to find Shivaay continued in my subconscious even as i went about my daily life. His gait, his resting look, his rhythm, eccentricities and the way he’d hold his phone. Cut back to the first day of filming, circa April 23rd, 2016.. We did a few takes of the walk with the brothers and almost magically it seemed to come together for everyone on the monitor.

- Nakuul Mehta

Beyond the success of the show itself, Nakuul emphasized that what truly endures is the emotional connection forged during its making. For him and many others involved, Ishqbaaaz was not just a project but a significant chapter of their lives. “Sometime I feel it’s not even the show but it’s who we were whilst making the show is where we find comfort. For the audiences, some of it is the friends they made whilst this show became their home and for a lot of us it was a time in life when you found a cast and crew which was hungry to play of each other, have fun and make a bloody good show!”

He concluded his note on a poignant note, acknowledging how life has changed for everyone over the past decade while the love for the show remains constant. “Whilst so much has happened in the past decade, folks got married, some of us made kids, we lost a dear cast member this year.. what remains unchanged is that everytime someone comes and tells me ‘their’ story of Ishqbaaaz, my heart beams with immeasurable joy.”

Have a look at Nakuul's post here:

A decade later, Ishqbaaaz continues to live on not just through screens but through the memories of those who created it and the audiences who embraced it as their own.