Mumbai, April 25 (NationPress): Nakuul Mehta, the celebrated face of Indian television, marked a decade of his landmark show Ishqbaaaz by sharing an emotional and nostalgic account of the show's very first day of filming — a sweltering afternoon in the outskirts of Mumbai with a crew of over 200 people. The actor's heartfelt post, shared across social media platforms on April 25, 2025, was triggered by a chance airport encounter that unlocked a flood of decade-old memories.

Airport Encounter That Sparked the Nostalgia

Mehta revealed that while heading to catch an early morning flight to Jaipur, a group of fans congratulated him on completing 10 years of Ishqbaaaz. The moment did not fully sink in until he had settled into his IndiGo seat, at which point memories from the show's early days came rushing back.

He wrote that a bunch of random good people he ran into on his way to the flight congratulated him on ten years of a show which defined love for them, and that it was not until he rested his back on his IndiGo seat that a bunch of memories came rushing back, prompting him to rummage through his phone for photographic evidence.

The actor then shared a series of behind-the-scenes photographs and throwback videos from the sets of Ishqbaaaz, featuring co-stars Surbhi Chandna, Shrenu Parikh, and others.

The First Day of Filming: April 23, 2016

Mehta described the very first day of shoot — April 23, 2016 — with striking clarity, noting that a decade later, the memory remains unusually vivid. The production was mounted on a grand scale from day one, with over 200 crew members assembled in the outskirts of Mumbai under an unforgiving afternoon sun.

He recalled spending the larger part of the day waiting in his van, with the actual shot being called only closer to midnight. Despite the long wait, Mehta described feeling an unusual sense of self-assurance — a rare emotion on any first day of a new project.

He noted that on a burning afternoon in the outskirts of Mumbai with a crew of over 200 people, he spent the larger part of the day waiting in his van until the shot was called closer to midnight, and that they did a few takes of the walk with the brothers and almost magically it seemed to come together for everyone on the monitor.

Ishqbaaaz Legacy: From Television Phenomenon to Streaming Classic

Ishqbaaaz first aired in 2016 on Star Plus and ran successfully until 2019, spanning multiple hundred episodes. The show starred Nakuul Mehta as the iconic Shivaay Singh Oberoi, with Surbhi Chandna playing the beloved character Anika. Kunal Jaisingh and Leenesh Mattoo rounded out the central cast as the other Oberoi brothers.

The show's popularity was so immense that it spawned a spin-off, Dil Boley Oberoi, which focused on the lives of the other brothers and featured Kunal Jaisingh and Shrenu Parikh in the lead roles.

Mehta noted that the show continues to find both new and repeat audiences, crediting the streaming era for giving television shows a form of immortality. He reflected that three years felt crunched into a few hundred episodes which continue to find newer and repeat audiences given how streaming has made television immortal.

Emotional Tribute to Cast, Crew, and a Lost Colleague

In a deeply personal note, Mehta also acknowledged the broader human journey behind the show — cast members getting married, having children, and the grief of losing a dear cast member in the past year. He did not name the individual, but the reference added a poignant layer to his tribute.

He concluded that what remains unchanged is that every time someone comes and tells him their story of Ishqbaaaz, his heart beams with immeasurable joy.

The actor's reflection underscores a broader truth about Indian television's golden era — that shows like Ishqbaaaz were not just entertainment products but cultural touchstones that shaped viewer relationships, friendships, and emotional milestones. With streaming platforms continuing to amplify its reach, Ishqbaaaz is well positioned to introduce itself to an entirely new generation of viewers in the years ahead.