Why Swaroop Sampat took Paresh Rawal to watch The Exorcist on their 2nd date: ‘I wanted to hold his hand…’

Paresh Rawal's now-wife Swaroop Sampat revealed in a new interview that he was a gentleman so didn't hold her hand during their first movie date.

Paresh Rawal and Swaroop Sampat may not appear together in public too much, but they have an endearing love story. In an interview with The Lallantop, Swaroop recalled how they finally broke the ice during their second movie date in the 1970s. (Also Read – Top 8 Bollywood supporting actors who stole the show in these films: From Kangana Ranaut to Paresh Rawal)

Paresh Rawal and Swaroop Sampat went to watch The Exorcist on their 2nd date

What Swaroop said

Swaroop recalled that Paresh asked her out for a movie because he had “an extra ticket.” They went to Liberty Cinema in Mumbai to watch Manmohan Desai's 1977 blockbuster comedy Amar Akbar Anthony. “But Paresh is a real gentleman and it was too much stress for me. So he'd always sit like this (cross armed) in movies and I'd think, is he going to hold my hand? I'm talking of a 17-year-old, right?"

Swaroop then found a way out and chose William Friedkin's 1973 cult supernatural horror film The Exorcist for their second date. “It was not at all scary, but I was terrified. ‘Paresh, I need to hold your hand!’ At least break the ice, man! That tension is too much, kab hoga wo haath pakadne ka silsila (when will that saga of holding hands start),” she added, laughing.

Swaroop and Paresh's love story

Swaroop also revealed that she and Paresh met for the first time in Mumbai when she watched him perform a play. She was bowled over by his performance on stage, went backstage after the curtain call, and confessed to him that she is a fan. Paresh, who already had a secret crush on her (she was also a popular stage actor and model), distributed free cigarettes to strangers while commuting across the city, telling everyone, “I think she likes me.”

After tying the knot, they had two sons – actor Aditya Rawal and Aniruddh Rawal. Paresh, last seen in Sudha Kongara's Hindi directorial debut Sarfira, will next star in Ahmed Khan's ensemble adventure comedy Welcome to the Jungle. Meanwhile, Swaroop was last seen in the 2020 anthology, Zindagi inShort. They also perform plays together, and her primary occupation is that of an educationist.