’Why Not Link Me With Hrithik’ - Article

In a BT exclusive, TV actress Shweta Tiwari lashes out at rumours of her relationship with Mahesh Manjrekar

ROSHNI K OLIVERA Times News Network

TV actress Shweta Tiwari's personal life has been much in focus recently. Her marital problems have taken up reams of newsprint and considerable TV footage — right from the time she lodged a police complaint for domestic violence against her husband Raja Chowdhary to now when Raja is lashing out at her for not letting him meet their daughter. The lady, though, has always maintained a dignified silence. "I don't want to talk about my personal life," she says. However, mention filmmaker Mahesh Manjrekar's name, who she's rumoured to be seeing, and Shweta bursts out laughing. "I've never met him. We've never even bumped into each other. I only saw him in the movie Kaante and later on the TV show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa."
She's surprised how his name's cropped up. "I have no clue. At least if I was linked with my writer Mahesh Pandya it would make sense because I know him. Why Mahesh Manjrekar? If they had to link me with someone from the industry, then why not Hrithik Roshan? I watch all his films," she laughs. "In fact, even Mahesh Manjrekar must be saying, 'Aakhir yeh Shweta Tiwari hai kaun?" she says. Shweta, who became a household name with the serial Kasautii Zindagii Kay, has always been a little media-shy, but she went completely into her shell recently. However, contrary to rumours that she's cut herself off from friends and associates and is very low, Shweta sounded quite at peace and cheerful. At the moment she is also upbeat about the reality show SaharaOne's Jjhoom India, where she is singing with Suresh Wadkar. "I got very nervous before singing for the first time when some from the audience came up to me and appreciated me for my role in Kasautii. I realised people had high expectations from me," says Shweta. But slowly, with Wadkar's help, she is learning the ropes. "My sur goes haywire, and he tends to forget the words, so we help each other. He's been very encouraging." The first day she didn't get her daughter on the sets wondering what her performance would be like, but for the second round both her mother and daughter will be present. Ask Shweta what prompted her to be part of this show and there's a chirpy reply awaiting: "So that I can enjoy playing antakshari with my cousins. Until now, I was conscious of singing, but hopefully that will change soon."