Shahana Goswami has spoken candidly about her past relationship with actor-model Milind Soman, years before he married Ankita Konwar in 2018. In a recent interaction, Shahana recalled how she first connected with Milind as a teenage fan and reflected on why their relationship eventually came to an end.
'I was mesmerised by him'
Speaking to Siddharth Kannan, Shahana shared that she first noticed Milind after watching Rules: Pyaar Ka Superhit Formula while she was still in school in Delhi.
“When I was 16-17 years old, I was in Delhi and one of Milind’s films had released at that time. My school friends and I went to see that film. I also thought why are we going to watch a model’s film? It would have very bad acting, but I was mesmerised by Milind in the film,” she said.
The actress revealed that after watching the movie, she searched for his contact details online and eventually found his landline number. According to Shahana, Milind had left his cellphone number on the answering machine, following which she texted him on his birthday and received an immediate reply.
'Basically, I was a stalker fan'
Shahana admitted that although they remained in touch through text messages for years, they never actually spoke over a phone call during that period. “We had an interaction on text for six years, never spoke over call. Basically, I was a stalker fan,” she joked.
She added that after moving to Mumbai for college, the two met a few times before eventually beginning a relationship when both were single. “Six years later, at some point when we both were single, I messaged him and then we started dating,” she shared.
'I never felt the age difference'
The actress also addressed the 21-year age gap between her and Milind, saying it never affected their relationship. “I was always way more mature than my age. We were very open in my family and I always felt like an adult from when I was a kid,” she explained.
Shahana added that she learnt several important life lessons from Milind during their time together. “He used to say, ‘Nobody is responsible for your happiness or sadness.’ That really resonated with me,” she said.
The actor also fondly remembered how Milind changed her perception about cats. “I used to like dogs more than cats, but Milind is so much like a cat himself that after dating him, I understood how to love and care for cats,” she added.
'We didn’t want the same things'
Opening up about their breakup in 2013, Shahana said the relationship ended because they eventually realised they were no longer compatible despite still loving each other. “It’s just about timing. Till the very end, we were in love with each other. When you see that a relationship is not able to sync, you have to let it go,” she said.
The actress further explained that she eventually realised she did not fit into the idea of a conventional relationship. “I believe in love very deeply but I also believe in freedom. If you keep people trapped with yourself, that’s not love,” she shared.
According to Shahana, while there was a lot of love between them, they ultimately wanted different things from life and relationships.
