Photograph: Kind courtesy Varun Tej and Lavanya Tripathi/Instagram
Operation Valentine star Varun Tej is currently in Kashmir with his lovely wife Lavanya Tripathi. The two got married on November 1, 2023.
Varun says this unexpected holiday with his wife is very special. “This was my first Valentine’s Day with my wife. Luckily we are together in the most beautiful place on earth. We were supposed to leave Kashmir immediately after paying my respect to the Pulwama martyrs and head to Delhi. But the Delhi stint got cancelled, so we decided to stay back in Kashmir. Here we are skiing in Gulmarg and enjoying the best time together.”
Photograph: Kind courtesy Manushi Chhillar/Instagram
Varun Tej paid a visit to the Pulwama memorial site in Kashmir on Wednesday, February 14, 2024, with his co-star Manushi Chhillar.
Says Varun emotionally, “It was a very emotional moment for us to be actually standing at the memorial. As you know forty CRPF personnel were killed in a terror attack in Pulwama in 2019. Their memorial site at the Lethpora camp is inscribed with the names of all the forty troopers along with their photographs and the motto of the Central Reserve Police Force: Seva Aur Nishtha. The memorial is filled with memories of bravery and fortitude.”
“It was a very decisive moment for us as Indians and as actors who have proudly made a film on that incident which took the lives of the martyrs.”
Photograph: Kind courtesy Manushi Chhillar/Instagram
Varun would like to return to Kashmir as soon possible. “As we paid our respect at the Pulwama memorial site I felt a flood of humility and gratitude: Humility for standing at a spot honouring our brave soldiers, and gratitude for being a part of a film that honours these martyrs.”
Varun also had the opportunity at Pulwama to meet with CRPF troopers. “I interacted extensively with the CRPF jawans of the 185th battalion. I must say it was truly humbling and edifying experience.”
