Be it Bollywood or Hollywood - in the world of showbiz, several marriages are crumbling. Actress Soha Ali Khan, who recently got engaged to her beau Kunal Kemmu, says the key to a healthy relationship is to "work around the dissatisfactions" as nothing is perfect.
The actors got engaged in Paris recently, and they are yet to decide on their nuptials. In a tete-a-tete, Soha spoke about relationships and her idea of marriage. Excerpts:
Q. Many marriages in showbiz are crumbling. Does that scare you?
A. I’ve always felt when you are committed in a relationship, you’ve to work through the difficult times. I’ve seen my parents (Sharmila Tagore and late Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi) in a successful solid marriage for 44 years. I am sure they had their problems. They were completely different personalities. But they must have worked on their marriage. And they made it work. I never felt any insecurity regarding my parents’ marriage. I think they handled their issues and the public face of their marriage was so dignified.
Q. Then how according to you, does a modern marriage work?
A. There is no perfect relationship. You have to work around the dissatisfaction. One reason why marriages break faster now is because people live longer. Earlier people died at 60. Now they live to be a 100, so all that more time to spend in a marriage. How many years can you live happily in one relationship? You need to have a sense of commitment, maturity and infinite patience to make a marriage last.
Q. Are you arguing against marrying Kunal?
A. To keep a relationship going in today’s day and age is very difficult. I’d like to think if my relationship has worked for five years, it’s permanent. We are all so self-centred. So am I. To give that much to a relationship is very difficult.
Q. Would you be able to do it?
A. My happiness always came first. But now to make Kunal happy makes me happier. But ultimately, I don’t know how much I can sacrifice for anyone else. I always said we should not take the relationship for granted. We need to continue to communicate our feelings about one another, no matter what its repercussions.
Only an honest approach can keep a relationship going. I’ve seen the dignity that my parents brought into their marriage. If I am a secure person today it’s because of the marriage that my parents shared. I’d certainly want my child to feel the same sense of security.
