'Our family gatherings are like tutti-frutti ice cream'

As Shatrughan and Poonam Sinha mark 45 years of marriage, the duo reflects on their roller-coaster love story

- Nichola Marie

The Hindi language has a charming word - natkhat. It translates to naughty or mischievous. Impish, roguish, or playful. All of which aptly describer Shatrughan Sinha. A legend in his time, the years haven't been able to steal this endearing quality from the septuagenarian actor-politician. It sparks off again when he informs us he is sitting in Srinagar in a Taj hotel facing the Dal Lake. Sounds romantic, we remark.

Without missing a beat, he mischievously retorts, “Romance doesn't go with wife. Romance is the first casualty after marriage!” But behind that impish charm, he lives up to his name — Sinha (lion), sym-bolising strength, courage and bravery. These qualities have marked his career and family life, as well as the life he has built with his better half, Poonam, who embodies them equally.