Sanjay ‘Sanju’ Gagnani recalls his first Valentine’s Day with Poonam ‘Poonu’ Preet during dating days

Every love story has a unique twist, and for actors Sanjay Gagnani and Poonam Preet Bhatia, it has to be there first Valentine’s Day while they were dating. Why? Because Sanjay took his ladylove to Shirdi on the day of romance.

“Any girl would expect their boyfriend to take them for a romantic dinner or holiday, I took Poonu (his nickname for her) to Sai Baba’s temple,” recounts Sanjay, adding, “We wanted to begin the relationship by seeking blessings of the Almighty. She was surprised and shocked… But I wanted to be different and show my true self. I wanted to express my feelings, and tell that they were as pure as a devotee’s feelings for the Almighty.”

The couple first met virtually on social media, and went on their date when Poonam travelled to Mumbai from Delhi. But even after that, he didn’t propose to Poonam straightaway. “Sanju (her nickname for him) used to sing songs from the film Bodyguard, so I got some hint. We used to stay in Four Bungalows, he would take me for coffee. He would make me laugh a lot. Once I spat out my coffee because he made me laugh so hard!,” recalls Poonam.

She also remembers that he started calling her Bebo. Sanjay spills the beans on that story: “I had a huge crush on Kareena Kapoor Khan, and also worked with her in Heroine. So I told Poonam that I will call her Bebo.”

For their first Valentine’s Day as a married couple, Sanjay has planned to take his wife to three of her most favourite places.

One thing led to another, and they got married after a delay due to Covid, in November 2021. Does life change at all after getting married? Poonam laughs, while Sanjay answers, “I feel nothing has changed. We were in a live-in relationship, we always considered each other as friends first, before being her lover, fiancé and then husband. I still talk to her and behave like a friend with her. I am a friend when she needs one, and same for husband and boyfriend. That is the only thing, nothing has changed thankfully.”