- By Swati Singh
- Wed, 22 Apr 2026 03:19 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
On their 19th wedding anniversary, Abhishek Bachchan reflected on his journey with Aishwarya Rai, describing her as his true soulmate. Recalling their first meeting on the sets of Dhai Akshar Prem Ke in 2000, he admitted that while they got along famously from the start, he had no idea at the time that she would eventually become his wife.
According to Deccan Chronicle, Abhishek Bachchan recalled his first meeting with Aishwarya Rai. He said, "Oh, that would be in 2000, on the sets of the late Raj Kanwar’s Dhai Akshar Prem Ke…There was no inkling back then of what was to come. We got along very well. But did I suspect she was my soulmate? No!"
Abhishek and Aishwarya fell in love while filming JP Dutta’s Umrao Jaan. Abhishek said, "We got married a few months after the release of our film Guru together. Mani Ratnam (who directed Guru) remains special for both of us. We consider him a dear friend and godfather." "Today, Ash is not just the mother of my daughter — and full credit to her for bringing up Aaradhya with the right values — but also my soulmate. Nineteen years of our marriage has been a dream. I have big plans for our twentieth anniversary, but I am not telling you about them now," he further added.
As April 20 marks Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan's 19th wedding anniversary, Aishwarya Rai took to her Instagram handle and dropped a couple of adorable photos featuring herself, Abhishek Bachchan and their daughter Aaradhya. Fans soon chimed into the comments section and dropped heartfelt reactions. A user commented, "beautiful family," another one wrote, "Another year, another chapter of love. Happy Anniversary to this iconic couple," a netizen wrote, "Happy anniversary...Great family.. god bless please be together always," others also dropped similar reactions.
In a previous conversation with ETimes, Abhishek Bachchan expressed deep gratitude for Aishwarya’s dedication as a mother. He credited her hands-on approach for giving him the freedom to focus on his career while she ensured their daughter, Aaradhya, leads a grounded life.