Engagement in October, wedding in January: Nivetha Pethuraj spills her wedding plans

Actress Nivetha Pethuraj made her relationship with businessman Rajhith Ibran #instaofficial on August 28. In an exclusive chat with us, she shares, “We didn’t expect the post to blow up this much.

We hadn’t even told our families that we were going to post it.

It was a random decision. We felt like, ‘Let’s make it official today,’ as it was also an auspicious day (Vinayagar Chaturthi).”Nivetha and Rajhith’s friends-to-lovers story began five years ago when they met at a race track in Dubai. “We were initially just friends, but we recently thought, ‘Why don’t we take it forward into marriage?’ We were getting along well, and both of us were mentally ready to settle down.

Our families and friends also get along, and we thought our bond could last forever. Only my first circle knew about our relationship.

I’d not told anyone in the industry. So, it was a shocker for everybody, including my manager,” says the actress.‘WE PLAN TO KEEP IT SIMPLE AND INTIMATE’The couple has already started making plans for their wedding. Nivetha says, “As of now, we have fixed the engagement for October and the wedding for January 2026. But the exact date is not finalised yet.

Both our families live in Dubai, and they travel a lot. So, we need to fix the date accordingly. We don’t want the ceremony to be commercialised. We plan to keep it simple and intimate.”‘I DIDN’T WANT TO TAKE UP PROJECTS, BUT RAJHITH ENCOURAGED ME’ Nivetha shares Rajhith has been very supportive of her work. “I hadn’t taken up work for some time, as it felt monotonous; I was not very happy with the roles I was getting. One day, at a shoot, I thought, ‘If I’m not interested in the roles I’m doing, then I’m not going to make justifications for the projects I take up.’

It has never been about money for me,” she says, adding, “I didn’t want to take up projects, but Rajhith said, ‘No, you should, because you’re good at it.

’ It makes it easier if your partner is encouraging of what you’re doing and is open-minded about what you want to pursue.”‘RAJHITH IS NOT INTO THE FILM INDUSTRY, BUT WATCHES MORE FILMS THAN I DO’She says Rajhith is as proud of her as her dad is. “There will be a smirk on my dad’s face every time he sees me on screen. That’s exactly how Rajhith behaves.

I don’t re-watch my films, but after I met him, we re-watched everything I’ve done so far. He is not into the film industry, but watches more films than He respects me and my family. He also encourages me to focus on my work.”‘THERE ARE MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN WHO ARE MARRIED OR HAVE CHILDREN THESE DAYS’Nivetha believes marriage or children doesn’t limit an actress’s career. She shares, “Right now, there are so many opportunities for women who are married or have children. Jyotika ma’am and Simran ma’am do great work even now.

I was hopeful that the day I decide I am ready to act, there will be something for me. And that’s exactly what happened. After my partner told me I should take up work, I got an offer the very next day, and I took it up.

When I took up a project and went to shoot, I realised that was the right thing to do. I missed being on set so much.”‘Cinema is a part of my life, not my life’Nivetha says she has always believed that a partner who isn’t from the film industry would gel with her better. “The film industry is a different life altogether. When you’re in the industry and working so much, you just want to come out of it. When you’re with your friends and family, you don’t want to discuss cinema. Not everybody is like that, but I am. Some people are completely dedicated to cinema. But for me, cinema is a part of my life, not my life.

In fact, I have always felt that someone who is not from the industry would be better for me,” she reveals.