Indian actress Shahana Goswami has gone viral after candidly opening up about open relationships, love, commitment, and her past romance with Milind Soman during a podcast appearance with Siddharth Kannan on YouTube.
Speaking honestly about her personal life, Shahana revealed that she currently does not have one “primary” partner and instead shares deep emotional connections with multiple people.
“At this point, I don’t even have one primary partner like that. I have many people with whom I have long-standing dynamics. But none of it is casual for me,” she said.
The actress explained that her idea of love has evolved over time and is now rooted in freedom, individuality, and emotional space.
“To me, love is freedom more and more over a period of time. Whether it is friendship, parents or romantic relationships, you have to give people space to be who they are,” she shared.
Shahana also admitted that traditional relationships do not suit her personality.
“I don’t think relationships are for me because the formula of relationships doesn’t suit me,” she said.
Shahana Goswami on Marriage, Commitment and Open Relationships
Questioning society’s conventional views on marriage and commitment, Shahana said she believes love does not always need legal or social validation.
“If you trust life, then let life happen. Why do we put everything into a contract? If it has to happen, it will happen,” the actress said.
She further pointed out that many couples stay together for decades without getting married.
“I have seen people who never got married but stayed together for 20-30 years. So if marriage is not necessary for love, then why should I bind myself?” she added.
While discussing open relationships, Shahana stressed that honesty, transparency, and communication are the foundations of such dynamics.
“Open communication, honesty, constant clear communication. You have to truly understand what kind of person the other person is,” she explained.
According to the actress, every relationship is unique and should not be controlled by rigid rules.
“I don’t believe in control or rules being required in love,” she said.
Shahana also clarified that emotional and physical intimacy can both exist in open relationships.
“Sometimes it remains friendship, sometimes it can become physical too,” she revealed.
The actress added that everyone involved in her life is aware of the dynamics and nothing is hidden.
“There is nothing hidden in my life. They know if I was physically intimate with someone else,” she said.
However, Shahana admitted that such relationships are emotionally challenging and require maturity.
“You have to deal with your jealousy, insecurities, loneliness and rejection. It’s not easy,” she said.
Shahana Goswami on Relationship With Milind Soman
Shahana Goswami also candidly reflected on her past relationship with actor-model Milind Soman, years before he married Ankita Konwar in 2018.
The actress revealed that she first became fascinated by Milind as a teenager after watching his film Rules: Pyaar Ka Superhit Formula.
“When I was 16-17 years old, I was in Delhi and one of Milind’s films had released at that time. My school friends and I went to see that film. I also thought why are we going to watch a model’s film? It would have very bad acting, but I was mesmerised by Milind in the film,” she recalled.
Shahana shared that after watching the movie, she searched online for Milind’s contact details and eventually found his landline number. She later wished him on his birthday through a text message and received an immediate reply.
“Basically, I was a stalker fan,” she joked while recalling how they stayed connected through text messages for nearly six years before officially dating.
According to the actress, they eventually started dating after both were single and living in Mumbai.
“Six years later, at some point when we both were single, I messaged him and then we started dating,” she shared.
Shahana also addressed the 21-year age gap between them, saying it never affected their relationship because she always considered herself emotionally mature for her age.
She further revealed that Milind taught her important life lessons, including emotional independence.
“He used to say, ‘Nobody is responsible for your happiness or sadness.’ That really resonated with me,” she said.
Opening up about their breakup in 2013, Shahana explained that despite loving each other deeply, they eventually realised they wanted different things from life and relationships.
“It’s just about timing. Till the very end, we were in love with each other. When you see that a relationship is not able to sync, you have to let it go,” she said.
Who is Shahana Goswami?
Shahana Goswami is known for her acclaimed performances in both mainstream and independent cinema. She gained recognition through films like Rock On!!, Firaaq, and Midnight's Children.
The actress was also part of Santosh, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival but did not receive a theatrical release in India following censorship-related issues and delays.
Shahana was last seen in the Hindi film Despatch.
