Lin Laishram recalls her first meeting with Randeep Hooda in 2011, living together during COVID: ‘I was not sure if this was the right person to get married’

Randeep Hooda and Lin Laishram’s wedding was rooted in love and tradition, but their road to forever wasn’t always smooth. In a recent interview, Lin shared how their bond began back in 2011 and deepened during the COVID-19 lockdown, eventually leading to their culturally rich Manipuri wedding in November 2023.
Lin Laishram recalls her first meeting with Randeep Hooda in 2011
Speaking to Hauterrfly, Lin Laishram opened up about the first time she met Randeep Hooda, a moment that set the stage for their enduring relationship. “We met in 2011,” she said. “I had just returned from New York, where I was still modelling. I wanted to get into acting, so I went to Naseeruddin Shah sir’s production house, and that’s where I met him.”
Randeep offered help without hesitation. “One day he helped me with casting directors and what I should be doing. That was our first conversation. I felt very genuine about him as a person,” Lin revealed. “He helped me immediately without even asking what I could do for him.”
‘There was something about him’

While many relationships take time to bloom, Lin confessed to feeling an instant connection. “A very weird thing I felt when I first saw him… I felt that I knew him. I felt very comfortable around him, something about him made me feel very comfortable,” she said.
Though they were still exploring what the relationship meant, she shared, “We were also kind of confused about this, so we were trying to figure out the relationship.”
Living together during COVID brought them closer

The turning point came during the pandemic. “During the COVID time, we started actually living together,” Lin said. “I was not used to living with somebody, he was also not used to living like that, so there was a lot of adjustment.”
Yet, in the midst of isolation and chaos, the couple found joy and stability. “But both of us felt so easy during the COVID-19 — we were saying, ‘arey, yeh toh acha hai’,” she recalled with a smile. “We found our home and peace in each other during that time.”
Family pressures and societal expectations posed challenges
Lin shared her initial doubts about marriage, not because of Randeep, but due to cultural pressures and expectations. “I wanted to get married, but I was not sure if this was the right person because when you get married late, there’s a lot going on in your head,” she explained.
She added, “My parents would keep saying ‘get married to a Manipuri boy’, or Randeep’s parents would say, ‘you should only get married into a Jaat family’.”
How Randeep supported Lin in her personal journey
Despite all the doubts, Lin eventually found clarity and a safe space with Randeep. “Ultimately I found my space, which Randeep really helped with — making me feel comfortable in whoever I was,” she said.

She also reflected on the lack of early support from her family. “I never felt supported by my parents or my family about what I chose in life. They didn’t support me when I was acting and modelling. They only understood when I became popular and started making some money.”