Suniel Shetty Recounts Meeting KL Rahul For First Time, Reveals Athiya Shetty’s Reaction

Suniel Shetty was unaware that KL Rahul and Athiya were already friends.

KL Rahul and Athiya Shetty got married at Suniel's farmhouse in Khandala.

New Delhi: On January 23, 2023, KL Rahul and Athiya Shetty got married at Suniel's farmhouse in Khandala. Suniel recently revealed that he had initially met his son-in-law KL Rahul at an airport in 2019 and found that they both hail from Mangalore, their hometown. Later, he found out that the cricketer was already acquainted with his daughter, the actor Athiya Shetty, and they were on "talking terms."

The actor came on The Kapil Sharma Show to talk about Kumite 1 Warrior Hunt, the country's first MMA reality show. He also mentioned Rahul and his daughter's recent wedding. He recalled meeting the cricketer while being oblivious that he and Athiya were already friends. Another "happy coincidence" for the actor was that Rahul's parents' home in Mangalore was not far from the place where he was born.

The actor recounted his first meeting with Rahul, according to a report in Mid-Day.

"I had the pleasure of meeting Rahul first at an airport. I was thrilled to learn that he was from Mangalore, my hometown. I was a big fan of him and was happy to see that he was doing well. When I came home and shared the news with Athiya and [wife] Mana, they didn’t say much; they just exchanged looks with each other. Later, Mana came to me and said that Athiya and Rahul [were on] talking terms," he said.

"I was surprised that Athiya had not mentioned it to me. [At the same time], I was happy as I always told Athiya to connect with south Indian boys. Rahul’s house in Mangalore [where his parents live] is only a few kilometres away from my birthplace [Mulki]. So, this was a happy coincidence," he added. 

On the work front, with co-stars Paresh Rawal and Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty will reunite for 'Hera Pheri 3'.  Paresh had previously revealed that the third movie's main cast—Raju, Shyam, and Babu Bhaiyya—will fly abroad for the third film's foreign shoot, which will start in three months.