Celebrities are notoriously cagey when it comes to shielding their private lives, but Bollywood actor Aftab Shivdasani is an exception. At a press conference in Dubai on Tuesday to announce the inaugural Dubai Fashion Awards 2013 (DFA 2013), the Masti star wore his heart on his sleeve, bringing his fiancee Nin Dusanj with him. “It’s the most beautiful feeling to be in love. I think everyone in the room will agree,” said Shivdasani glancing fondly at his London-bred Indian partner.

“I am not saying this because she is sitting next to me. But she’s my balancing factor in my life. She breaks all my illusions,” said Shivdasani, whose last release was Vikram Bhatt’s 2012 horror film 1920: Evil Returns. Shivdasani is in town to judge Tuesday’s DFA 2013, a platform for new designers. Auditions were held recently to shortlist designers who could showcase their collections on a ramp. Shivdasani, along with former beauty queen Diana Hayden and designer Friah Al Taf were tasked with the job of selecting the best from 10 designers.

“I will look at the clothes from a consumer’s point of view. I would go in for visual appearance, the cut, the colours and the tailoring. Will the clothes look good on a person is a deciding factor,” said Shivdasani, who looks to his fiancee to style his clothes. However, he occasionally leafs through fashion magazines to find out who’s wearing what. “I can’t tell you about the latest trends. But I like to keep it simple, stylish and comfortable.”

Incidentally, the 34-year-old actor prefers to keep it simple when it comes to his career too.
“I took a break for two years because sometimes in life you need to reflect on certain decisions. I missed working, but the good news is that I am back. You will see me in Grand Masti in August or September,” said Shivdasani. It’s a sequel to the 2004 hit Masti and has retained its original cast including Riteish Deshmukh and Vivek Oberoi.