Vivek Dahiya opens up about getting addicted to alcohol: ‘Every night I used to sit with a glass… it became a lifestyle'

Indian Express

26-05-2025

Vivek Dahiya and Divyanka Tripathi are not just renowned television actors but also one of the small screen industry's most beloved power couples. Although they weren't paired together in it, the title of their first collaboration, Yeh Hai Mohabbatein (This Is Love), could not have been more fitting for the journey their lives would take together.
Despite being married for nearly a decade now, the couple continues to be surrounded by persistent rumours and speculation about their relationship. Like many celebrity couples, Vivek and Divyanka have also often found themselves at the centre of baseless separation and divorce rumours. Now, the Qayamat Ki Raat actor has stepped forward addressing such speculations, stating that, over the years, he has learned to handle such matters with maturity.
Also Read | Paresh Rawal opens up on Akshay Kumar's lawsuit for exiting Hera Pheri 3: 'My lawyer has sent an appropriate response, all issues will be laid to rest'
'Now I am more prepared as I have seen and lived this phase, where I have learnt so much. And I also understand that, being a public figure, you are subjected to certain perspectives and judgments. Whether you like it or not, it's a part and parcel of being in the industry. I deal with it sensibly now,' he shared during a chat with Bollywood Bubble.
Nonetheless, considering the couple has faced negativity from certain corners of social media ever since making their relationship official in early 2016, Vivek admitted that dealing with it wasn't easy at first. 'It was a hard time for us. It's very easy to judge, and it's part of our innate nature. Whenever we look at someone who is an outsider… There was a world that existed here and then there was a new element who came about… I felt like all eyes were on me,' he shared.
'When the two of us were together and we announced it, there were judgments and some of them reached us, and some we didn't know. There were instant judgments, but it also solidifies you when. That happens; they come together. And that's what happened in the initial phase, and we proved that they were wrong.'
Vivek also spoke about how he started drinking during COVID. 'Every night I used to sit with a glass and watch content, I would not do anything stupid, it became a lifestyle,' added Vivek.
'Slowly, frustration started crawling in and then I started witnessing a pattern and realised this is not something I would like to continue doing. Lockdown will eventually get over and I don't want to find myself to be an alcoholic by the end of it all. When things suddenly become normal and everyone is excited to be going back to work, here I'm stuck with a belly, no hair, dark circles. That's when I decided this needs to go,' said Vivek.
While Vivek Dahiya was last seen as a contestant in Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa Season 11, Divyanka Tripathi's most recent appearance was in the streaming series The Magic Of Shiri, wherein she starred alongside Jaaved Jaaferi. The couple tied the knot in a traditional wedding ceremony in July 2016.