Shibani Dandekar and Farhan Akhtar expecting their first child: Report
What's the story
Actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar and his wife singer-actor Shibani Dandekar are reportedly expecting their first child, according to InstaBollywood.
The couple's baby news emerged as Akhtar celebrated his 51st birthday on Thursday (January 9). However, the couple has yet to confirm the reports.
To note, the pair, who first met through work, dated for around four years before tying the knot in 2022.
Relationship timeline
Dandekar and Akhtar's journey to marriage
Dandekar, a singer, model, and TV host, tied the knot with Akhtar on February 19, 2022.
The two exchanged vows in an intimate ceremony at Akhtar's Khandala farmhouse in the presence of close family and friends. They hosted a reception at his Bandra home on February 21.
Akhtar was previously married to hairstylist Adhuna Bhabani from 2000 to 2017 and has two daughters with her: Shakya and Akira.
Bhabani began dating Nicolo Morea—the older brother of actor Dino Morea—in 2017.
Pregnancy rumors
When Dandekar dismissed pregnancy rumors in 2022
Shortly after their marriage in 2022, rumors began swirling that Dandekar was pregnant. She had posted a series of photos from her post-wedding shoot, which led many social media users to speculate about her pregnancy.
In response to the rumors, she took to Instagram, sharing a clip and writing, "I am a woman! I am nottttt pregnant! It was the tequila." She added laughing, rolling eyes, and woozy face emojis.
Personal truth
'Love jihad, gold digger': Dandekar on labels and personal truth
Meanwhile, fast forward to 2024, during a chat with Rhea Chakraborty on her podcast, Chapter 2, Dandekar shared how she was often called a "gold digger" and questioned her identity before marrying Akhtar.
"On a daily basis, when I started my relationship with Farhan, people used to say these two things to me- 'love jihad and gold digger.'"
"What am I supposed to do with that? I'm not going to cry myself to bed...I am not a gold digger."