Fiery, all-out passion
• The inspiration:
Raag Bageshri. And Kemal Basmaci, the protagonist in Orhan Pamuk’s The Museum of Innocence. “He’s so much in love, and intensely so.”
• The love bombing tip:
Profess your love online. Public displays of affection take courage.
• The big plan this year:
Checking out the larger-than-life art projections at the Van Gogh 360 show in Mumbai.
I“I’m a simp,” admits 38-year-old actor Namit Das. “I’m vulnerable in love. And, why shouldn’t I be? We only have on e life. Wear your heart on your sleeve. And when you feel something, say it. Even if it ends in heartbreak. There are no half-measures in love.”
Das will celebrate his eighth wedding anniversary, and 14 years of being with his wife, Shruti, on February 15. Going all-out with on e’s feelings draws plenty of cynicism, he says. “People tend to view you with mild disdain. They try to change the idea of romance by saying, ‘You can’t fall in love, you n eed to rise in love’,” he says.
But love doesn’t exist merely in the declaration of the emotion. There's more to love than shouting, I Love You from the rooftops. “Love is when I push myself and do things for someone, even when I’m adjusting to them. The world is turning individualistic. People today believe in too many things too strongly. It’s great to soften up to accommodate the other person.”
Love does conquer all, Das believes. As long as we do it right. “Because what is all-consuming love but care? We all think we know what we want in a partner, from a relationship. But we forget to account for what we bring to the table ourselves. An d, remember, love is a verb.”