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(Inset) Ali Fazal and Richa Chadha on a vacation in Goa last year

With their April wedding cancelled, Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal are making do with video calls to stay in touch

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With their wedding stalled, Richa and Ali making do with video calls

A week ago, Richa Chadha had shared a throwback post with actor-boyfriend Ali Fazal, writing, “Long time no see”. The duo, who have been dating for five years, haven’t seen each other for over two months despite being in the same city. “We could have asked for permission from our respective housing societies, but it would have been a risk. So, we avoided meeting,” informs Richa.

If the pandemic and ensuing countrywide lockdown had not played spoilsport, Richa and Ali would have been married by now, with festivities spread across three cities—Lucknow, Delhi and Mumbai—in April. “Ali and I were organising everything ourselves. The invites were yet to be sent out, but we had finalised other things, which had to be cancelled,” she sighs, saying, for now, it’s a waiting game. “I was called an anti-national on Twitter for asking when the lockdown would end. Now, we will take a call only when normalcy returns.”

However, unlike other lovelorn couples, Richa and Ali were used to video calls before the lockdown, thanks to long outdoor schedules. “We are used to the distance by now. Besides, I love being alone,” points out the actress, who currently has her brother for company. “He came in just before the lockdown was imposed and it’s a good thing, as otherwise I’d have been too lazy to cook for myself,” she chuckles, boasting that after all the time spent in the kitchen, she has finally perfected the masala dosa, sambar and coconut chutney spread.

Ali and I were organising everything ourselves. The invites were yet to be sent out, but we had finalised other things, which had to be cancelled. I was called an anti-national on Twitter for asking when the lockdown would end. Now, we will take a call only when normalcy returns.Richa Chadha

Richa admits she was quite disturbed initially when the lockdown started. Workouts and meditation helped calm her down. “Every time I watched the news, I’d get anxious about the plight of the poor and so started doing charity. I just want to help in any way I can,” she asserts.

The actress, who is currently reading How to Start a Revolution based on the Serbian democracy movement, warns of the consequences of neglecting the poor in dire times. “If the upper and middle class think they will skirt around the crisis, they are in for a shock. Not paying those who have helped them all their lives and letting go of them in their time of need, is going to come back to bite them,” she prophesises.

Towards the end of last year, Richa made a trip to Kazakhstan to learn belly-dancing from world renowned dancer April Rose, who lauded her moves in a practice video she posted recently. Ask her if she’s learning the dance form for a film and she shoots back, “None of my films have the scope for dance. I’d kill it in a dance film, but no one offers me one. I would even do an item song where I wouldn’t be the item.”

Richa Chadha, Ali Fazal and their love story

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Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal have been dating each other for quite some time. Had the coronavirus pandemic not hit the nation, the duo would have got hitched in April. Now, things have been pushed to the latter half of the year considering the situation in the country.
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Ali and Richa have now become one of the hottest couples of Bollywood. Initially, when the two didn't go public about their relationship, they professed their love through cryptic messages. The couple has been in love for quite some time and enjoying long-distance relationship amid the lockdown. Photo: Instagram/@alifazal9
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Ali and Richa were supposed to get hitched in the third week of April. They had planned to register their wedding in Mumbai and then follow it up with receptions in Delhi and Mumbai. Except the receptions, where all their relatives, friends and colleagues would be invited, most of the pre-wedding functions were to be private affairs with only their inner circle in attendance,” a source had told Mumbai Mirror on March 5. Photo: Instagram/@alifazal9
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Richa also gave a sneak peek of her engagement ring on social media. In March, the actress shared a small video clip flaunting her diamond ring as it glittered in the light. It's not just one but three diamond studs on Richa's finger. Photo: Instagram/@therichachadha
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Ali revealed that he randomly popped the question to Richa and was scared after that. “It happened so randomly. Honestly, I didn’t even have a ring. I just thought it was the right moment, it was the best place on the planet and I thought I don’t want to miss this chance. And I was so s**t scared, even though we had discussed it before. It was sweet. This is probably the first time I have spoken about this. No matter how close you are, that moment is always scary, right? The girl might say “Sorry yaar... Ek minute rakhna zara” (laughs)," Ali told Zoom TV. Photo: Instagram/@alifazal9
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Due to the pandemic, Ali and Richa's marriage plans got postponed. However, Ali doesn't regret it and he thanks his stars as the preparations hadn't started. He said that they were not organised and had not made payments. So, they were saved from unnecessary harassment. "We were so unplanned! It was a bit of a bummer but I look at it this way that the universe wanted us to celebrate it with everyone in the new world post this," Ali told Zoom TV. Photo: Instagram/@alifazal9
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Richa and Ali have been staying apart and meeting each other virtually. The Fukrey actor said that it's impossible to stay apart from his lady love. He also added that he thought of taking Mumbai Police's permission to go and meet her. Photo: Instagram/@alifazal9