On Valentine's Day, celebs decode the true meaning of love and what makes it special

Sheetal

Affection, attraction, appreciation, care, loyalty, understanding—love in its varied hues is a significant part of everyday life. As we celebrate a day solely dedicated to love—Valentine’s Day—celebs share what true love means to them.

Good understanding

True love is when partners understand each other. Not only in good, but bad times as well. They should also be loyal to each other. The way of expressing love is by understanding each other and taking care. Pampering each other not by material things, but by actions like complimenting each other. I am old-school; I don’t like fast things. I take time. In a relationship, connection and vibes matter the most. — Prateik Chaudhary, actor

Sharing & caring

My idea of love is connection of the hearts and spending quality time together; sharing thoughts and common interests. Different generations think of love differently but the base of love is still the same—sharing and caring. — Rohan Birla, actor

Romantic at heart

I am a romantic at heart. Love for me stands for good understanding between the partners. Also, staying true to yourself; believing in your partner and yourself. Expression counts, and my way of expressing love is giving a tight hug. I am going through a little rough phase right now. But for the people out there, just enjoy the day and have a great time. — Aditya Deshmukh, actor

Beautiful time

Being happy in someone’s happiness is true love for me. If love is missing from any relationship, it cannot survive. This Valentine’s Day, I will go out for a dinner with my wife; it’s important to take out time for each other and Valentine’s Day is one such occasion. — Vipin Patwa, singer

Great experience

Someone who understands you and what you are going through before you utter a word… Is my idea of true love! I firmly believe that we are given this body as we are supposed to meet certain number of souls and experience love. Not many realise, love is a superpower that attracts good people around you. The idea of love has changed for sure, as everybody today finds love through a swipe on their phones. Love has become like fast food, but I miss the old times where it was totally different. — Flora Saini, actor

Natural self

I believe love is when you find someone with whom you can be your natural self at all times without any pretences. Love stands for being humble. The way of expression differs from person to person, but for me it is about belief in each other. — Riya Bhattacharje, actor

Learning curve

Compassion, honesty, integrity and a constant willingness to develop in a constructive way define love for me. I believe love teaches us that we are not perfect, but that we still deserve to be loved! This Valentine’s Day is special, I am giving a surprise to my wife, Poonam Preet, as this is our first Valentine’s Day after the wedding. I am taking her to Kashmir. She wanted to be at a place where it snows, so taking her to the heaven of our country. I believe we have a perception that love and marriage have changed drastically, so we fail to notice the similarities! — Sanjay Gangnani, actor

Exciting & creative

True love for me means something unconditional, without any boundaries. It should be a kind of a travelling date, something interesting and creative as well. I am a very expressive person, so for me expression of love is extremely important. I think the idea of love is changing but the core meaning has always remained the samethrough the ages—to have someone watching your back. — Leysan Karimova, actor