Love was not enough. Bollywood actress put a condition for marrying Harbhajan Singh. How Yuvraj Singh helped the lovebirds

Time of India

2 days ago

Geeta Basra reveals putting one condition before marrying Harbhajan
About Geeta and Harbhajan
In an era when even receiving a mobile call meant paying extra, the romance between cricketer Harbhajan Singh and Bollywood actress Geeta Basra quietly took root. Their story began with long-distance phone conversations that sometimes lasted hours, regardless of the cost. One such call reportedly racked up a phone bill of nearly Rs 27,000 during an overseas cricket tour. For Harbhajan and Geeta, love mattered more than money. Later, she had a marriage condition for the cricketer.The couple first met in 2007 at a friend's party in London, while the Indian cricket team was touring England. Harbhajan, instantly smitten, got Geeta's number from teammate Yuvraj Singh . After seeing her on a movie poster, he sent her a message. Harbhajan later described it as 'love at first sight.'Geeta Basra was just starting her Bollywood career at the time, having debuted in 2006 with Dil Diya Hai opposite Emraan Hashmi. She then appeared in the 2007 thriller The Train. Although Harbhajan was quick to declare his intentions, saying he wanted to marry her from the beginning, Geeta was focused on her career and initially hesitant. She recalls on Bharati TV being surprised at how direct he was, with Harbhajan telling her, 'Tere se hi shaadi karunga' (I'll marry only you).The actress faced challenges because of their relationship. Rumours spread quickly, and she admitted losing out on four film roles due to the speculation around her personal life. It was a different time for women in the industry, and being linked to someone could affect their careers. Still, Geeta later talked about that perhaps moving to India led her to find her soulmate.She made Harbhajan wait 10 months before saying yes, joking that she would agree only once he took 300 wickets in international cricket. True to form, Harbhajan reached the milestone just days later, and Geeta was ready to give love a chance.Despite their growing closeness, the couple kept their relationship under wraps for nearly eight years. Geeta focused on building her career, while Harbhajan was busy at the peak of his cricketing journey. They faced rumours but chose to maintain privacy until they were ready to share their bond publicly.Their wedding took place on October 29, 2015, in Jalandhar with traditional Punjabi rituals. This was followed by a grand reception in Mumbai, where cricket legends and Bollywood stars gathered to celebrate the union. It was one of the most talked-about cricket-Bollywood weddings of the decade.Today, the couple are proud parents of two children, daughter Hinaya, born in 2016, and son Jovan, born in 2021. Geeta has stepped back from acting to focus on family, while Harbhajan retired from professional cricket and moved into commentary and politics.Geeta has often mentioned how Harbhajan's humility and connection with her Punjabi family, especially her grandmother who speaks only Punjabi, made their relationship stronger.