Micromax Founder Rahul Sharma reveals how this actor played matchmaker, leading to his marriage with actress Asin Thottumkal

Asin Thottumkal, the South India(BHARAT)n actress turned Bollywood star, tied the knot with Micromax founder Rahul Sharma in 2016. Since stepping away from films, Asin has embraced a quiet life away from the limelight. Yet fans have always been curious about the story behind her marriage. In 2024, Rahul Sharma offered a peek into how their romance bloomed, revealing a surprising third-party matchmaker, Akshay Kumar.

Where did they first meet?
Rahul Sharma recalled meeting Asin in 2012 during an India(BHARAT)-Pakistan cricket match in Dhaka. He shared in a podcast with Raj Shamani, “We were going for an India(BHARAT) vs Pakistan match (in 2012). Akshay’s movie, Housefull 2, was coming up, and she was acting in it. And then Akshay said, ‘There’s a movie coming. We want to promote the movie.’ Since Micromax was the sponsor of the Asia Cup, it was happening in Dhaka. So if somebody asks me where you met your wife, I say the most romantic place on Earth, Dhaka.”

Although their first encounter was brief, consisting of only greetings, it laid the foundation for something special. Rahul admitted that they didn’t immediately connect, but fate was already at work.

How did Akshay Kumar play cupid?
Rahul revealed that Akshay Kumar acted as the perfect bridge between the two. After observing their first meeting, the actor shared details about Asin’s simple, grounded personality and facilitated a number exchange between them. Rahul recalled, “Then Akshay said she’s a girl who’s very, very simple, down-to-earth, similar to you. She just comes, does her work, and goes back, very professional. Her mother is a doctor, and her father is in service, so that’s fantastic. Then he gave her number to me and my number to her. He just felt there was so much common in us. We come from the same values and backgrounds.”

A playful matchmaking mission
In 2016, Akshay Kumar openly admitted to Hindustan Times that he orchestrated their first close encounter in Delhi while promoting Housefull 2. The story involves a playful hide-and-seek game where Asin and Rahul ended up hiding together in a cupboard, and Jacqueline Fernandez was unknowingly part of the setup. Akshay explained, “I’ve been hiding this for three-and-a-half to four years. Yes, I got them to meet, and Jacqueline was also a part of it, but she didn’t realise it because I played it very slyly. When they hid together, that’s how it started, and it is so nice that they are getting married now.”

Their first meeting in Dhaka eventually blossomed into a strong relationship. The couple married in a beautiful Christian-Hindu ceremony in 2016 and welcomed their daughter Arin in October 2017. Since then, Asin has focused on her family while Rahul continued to expand Micromax into a tech empire. Their story remains a favourite among fans for its charm, simplicity, and the unexpected role of Bollywood’s “Khiladi” as the cupid.

Highlights:

1. Akshay Kumar orchestrated Asin and Rahul Sharma’s first close meeting.
2. The couple met in Dhaka during the 2012 India(BHARAT)-Pakistan cricket match.
3. Asin adopted a quiet life post-marriage, with their daughter Arin completing the family.