‘NAINA AND I DON’T FIGHT’
A short film titled White Shirt starring Kunal Kapoor and Kritika Kamra, directed by Sumit Arora, narrates a story based on relationships. The film was shown to the media recently and we decided to throw a volley of questions to the actor on his relationships and life post marriage. Here, he opens up about how his wife Naina Bachchan does not carry the baggage of the “Bachchans”, how Jayaji and Amitji were not at all shocked when they heard about his marriage to Naina, his future projects and more:
What does relationship mean to you? “A relationship is something that’s layered and complex at the same time. It cannot be expressed or explained in just one or two words or sentences. For me, a relationship is simple yet appealing but at the same time, nurturing,” says the actor, adding, “I have always been surrounded by women — be it my two sisters, mom or close friends. And yes, now, of course, my beautiful wife. I feel that we all need to constantly work towards keeping a relationship going. That’s what I do too. Mostly what happens is, people do not like to put in their time, effort and energy to preserve a relationship. That’s when things tend to go haywire. I believe, in a relationship, we need to invest time and energy and find ways, means and solutions to be able to carry on.”
Do you agree that the term “Love” is taken very lightly these days, especially by women who are ready to walk away from relationships? “I don’t think so. Nor do I think women are just walking away from relationships for no reason. It’s indeed great that women are empowered now and are able to lead their own lives with independence and zero financial dependency. And sometimes, it’s just okay to move on. Gone are those days when women would look up to a man for survival,” he says. “Having said this, I also feel that people, in general, are scared of commitments. A faithful marriage can only last with commitment! I mean, if you have any trouble in your relationship, you need to sit down and sort it out. These days instead of working constructively, people prefer to move on. Hence, we see so many break-ups.”
Do you think it’s high time that men should stop having extramarital affairs or stop cheating on their wives? “I don’t think only men cheat. It’s a two way street.
What is your mantra for a successful marriage? (Laughs aloud) “I had been in a long and committed relationship of about five and half years with Naina before marriage. Back then and even now, we like to invest our time and energy to keep ‘us’ going. We have always been truthful to one another and always been open to understanding one another’s feelings and thoughts,” he shares.
So are you saying there are no fights at all? Who makes up first? (Laughs again) “You’ll be surprised to know that we have not had that many fights! Moreover, whenever we have ever encountered any long, small, short or tall problem or misunderstanding, we make up in about 15-20 minutes. Either of us would initiate the first step. There are no set rules. We cannot hold on to our anger for more than 15-20 minutes and move ahead as quickly as possible.”
How is she as a partner? He says, “My wife always advises me over small issues and I take her advice happily as I feel she thinks the issues through in depth, and tries to bring forth a solution from the root. Whereas, my approach to any problem is pretty frivolous. Also being a banker, she is always there when I need some brilliant financial advice.”
Were the Bachchans shocked with your marriage? The actor quips, “Not at all. They knew that I was dating her. So I don’t think it came as a shock to them. Moreover, I have known and worked with both Jayaji and Amitji in the past. Abhishek is a friend of mine and we grew up together. So no shock on his part either.”
Does Naina carry any Bachchan baggage? “No way. Not at all,” he exclaims and adds, “She has grown far away from the film industry. So, I don’t think she carries any baggage.”
Lastly, is 2017 going to be the year of uniforms for you? Kunal laughing agrees: “Yes! Fully in uniforms. I just finished a Malayalam film Veeram, directed by Jayaraj. I play the main lead there — Chandu Chekavar, an infamous warrior in the Vadakkan Pattukal of North Malabar region in Kerala. My other film with director Tigmanshu Dhulia will see me playing an Indian soldier from the Indian National Army.”
My wife always advises me over small issues and I take her advice happily as I feel she thinks the issues through