Lin Laishram reveals why she was hesitant to marry Randeep Hooda: ‘Not sure if this was the right person…’

Randeep Hooda and Lin Laishram's wedding in November 2023 was one for the books. With traditional Manipuri customs in place, it was a celebration of culture, love, and a deep connection that had been growing since 2011. But as Lin shared in a recent interview, their path to marriage wasn’t a straightforward journey.

Lin started by sharing how she first met Randeep, and it’s not what you'd expect. “We met in 2011,” she began, giving us a glimpse into the early days of their story. “I had just returned from New York, where I was still modelling. I wanted to get into acting, so I went to Naseeruddin Shah sir’s production house, and that’s where I met him.”

Lin was looking for guidance, and Randeep was there to offer it. “So one day he helped me with casting directors and what I should be doing. That was our first conversation, and I felt very genuine about him as a person, about this guy who helped me immediately without even asking what I could do for him.”

But here’s where it gets interesting. Lin confessed that she felt an immediate, unexplainable connection with Randeep. “A very weird thing I felt when I first saw him... I felt that I knew him. I felt very comfortable around him, something about him made me feel very comfortable.” And they were both figuring out their feelings, trying to figure out what they meant to each other. “So we were also kind of confused about this, so we were trying to figure out the relationship,” Lin admitted. And then came the pandemic — a time of uncertainty for everyone, but for Lin and Randeep, it turned into something surprising.

“During the COVID time, we started actually living together,” Lin shared. “I was not used to living with somebody, he was also not used to living like that, so there was a lot of adjustment.” But in the midst of lockdowns, quarantines, and all the chaos, they found something unexpected. “But both of us felt so easy during the Covid 19 we were saying ‘arey, yeh toh acha hai’,” Lin laughed, recalling how the pandemic actually brought them closer. “But we found our home and peace in each other during that time.”

Despite this newfound comfort, marriage wasn’t yet on their radar. Lin had doubts about whether Randeep was the right person, particularly because she had always heard the pressure of expectations, both from her own family and his. “I wanted to get married, but I was not sure if this was the right person because when you get married late, there’s a lot going on in your head. Like expectations and all, and my parents they would keep saying ‘get married to a Manipuri boy’, or Randeep's parents would say, ‘you should only get married into a Jaat family’,” she said.

But in the end, it was about finding her own space. And Randeep was there every step of the way, helping her find peace in herself. “But ultimately I found my space, which Randeep really helped with making me feel comfortable in whoever I was,” she explained. Lin went on to reflect on her family’s complicated relationship with her career choices. “I never felt supported by my parents or my family about what I chose in life. They didn’t support me when I was acting and modelling. They only understood when I became popular and started making some money.”

It’s clear that Randeep's unwavering support has been a major part of Lin’s journey, both personally and professionally. And when they finally tied the knot in a beautiful traditional Manipuri ceremony, it wasn’t just a celebration of their love, but a symbol of how far they’d come together! On the work front, Randeep was most recently seen in Sunny Deol-starter Jaat.