MUMBAI: Sharad Malhotra's jaw dropping avatar in the supernatural thriller "Naagin 5" came as the biggest surprise of 2020. And while the audience and his fans are still reeling over his bad boy role, even his wife Ripci Bhatia can't get over his badass avatar and calls him her "sexy gunda". In fact, every weekend she ensures that she posts #sexygunda on her Instagram story. The actor says it's a big deal for him.

"Since the show went on air, there hasn't been a weekend when she did not post #sexygunda on her Instagram. And I am so used to it now that I was in fact telling her the other day that if someday you miss sharing it, I will call you and ask you to post it. I think she started this hashtag, and it means the world to me. It keeps me motivated and is encourages me to do better. She always comes up with something quirky. It's very flashy in a way because your wife is calling you a 'sexy gunda'," he said.

The "Kasam Tere Pyaar Ki" actor said that though he is thankful for all the love that his fans shower on him, he feels if your spouse or parents show appreciation for your work that gives you another high.

"I have a lot of people loving me out there, which I am always grateful for and I keep showing a lot of gratitude and there is a lot of gratification. But when your own family member, your wife or your mother, start a new trend or a new hashtag or appreciate you for what you are doing, that is more than any award or reward. Whenever I reach home after the shoot and she always opens the door with a smile and says 'oh my sexy gunda is back home'. That's the kind of camaraderie we have, we are husband and wife but we are like best of friends. I know she is extremely busy with her own work, but every Saturday she makes it a point to watch the show and come up with something interesting on her Instagram which always surprises me," he said.

Sharad and Ripci tied the knot in April 2019 in twin wedding ceremonies, one as per the Sikh rituals and another with the Hindi customs. The actor rose to fame with his debut show "Banoo Main Teri Dulhan" and has been a part of shows like "Muskaan", "Bharat Ka Veer Putra - Maharana Pratap". He is currently seen as Veer in Ekta Kapoor's "Naagin 5", which also features Surbhi Chandna and Mohit Sehgal.