Rohman Shawl has opened up about his past relationship with Sushmita Sen, proudly declaring, “I’m proud to be known as her boyfriend.” The couple began dating in 2018 after meeting on Instagram, where Shawl had sent the former Miss Universe a direct message. Their romance blossomed, but by 2021, they decided to part ways, announcing their breakup via social media. Despite the split, they emphasized that their friendship endured, and they have often been spotted together at various events and on Sushmita’s Instagram live sessions.
In an exclusive interview with News18 Showsha, Rohman candidly discussed the challenges of maintaining a friendship after a romantic relationship. “It’s not easy to remain friends with an ex-flame,” he acknowledged. He elaborated, “What makes it easy is the understanding between those two people. Every relationship has its own phases. If anyone needs me as a friend when they’re going through something, I’ll be there.”
Even though joint appearances have become less frequent recently, Rohman maintains that he shares a strong sense of comfort with Sushmita, which he values dearly. “It’s not necessary that two friends need to stick to each other throughout the day,” he reflected. “With time, we all understand who holds what kind of place in our lives. We’re all busy today, and work takes up a lot of our time. What stays behind and what remains important is a sense of comfort between two people. If I need someone, I should be able to pick up the phone on that person. Woh comfort mil jaaye toh bahot badi cheez hoti hai, baaki sab chalta hai.”
When their relationship first began, Rohman had taken a voluntary hiatus from acting, leading to extensive media speculation about the couple. However, he never shied away from being identified as “Sushmita Sen’s boyfriend.” “I don’t think it was detrimental to my career in any way,” he stated. “When I was in a relationship, I wasn’t working. People had nothing to write about me but my relationship. Now that I’ve started working, I see the change. When someone messages me now, it’s regarding my work.”
Rohman highlighted that his focus was on love rather than public opinion during that time. “I don’t know how detrimental it was because I was in love. What people said or wrote about me didn’t matter. It was my safe space, and I know what I shared with the person. Usme problem kya hai agar koi kuch bol bhi raha hai?” he expressed. His pride in the relationship shone through as he added, “I’ve always been proud of the relationship. I was proud of being known by my woman’s name. As a man, aap chhote bann jaate ho kya agar aap ko log kisi aurat ke wajah se jaante hain? I don’t think so and I don’t think it’s a bad thing at all. The media blew it out of proportion. Everyone has relationships and I don’t think there’s too much to think or dissect there.”
Reflecting on the lessons learned from his time with Sushmita, Rohman shared that her dedication to hard work deeply influenced him. “Her hard work. That’s something I’ve learnt the value of, and I instill it in my work. If you speak to someone I’ve worked with, the one thing they’ll tell you is that I work really hard, chahe kaam aata ya na aata ho,” he concluded.
