Soha Ali Khan and Kunal Khemu got married on January 25 after being in a live-in relationship for a while. The couple tells the ADC in a frank conversation about the joys of their newly married life
Now that you’re married, how different is married life for Kunal and you?
Marrying your best friend could be the best thing you could possibly do and being in a live-in relationship prior to getting married, things haven’t really changed for us. We have spent so much time together and I think it really helps when the person you are married to is also your best friend.
Now that you’re married, how do you divide household chores?
Kunal and I have parents that come from traditionally middle-class backgrounds. In their day, they pitched in for household chores like laundry, cooking and cleaning. Kunal himself would help his mum around the house with the cleaning while his father did the laundry. Drawing from personal experience, when I was a child my dad would buy the groceries while my mom would cook and as old as five, I would take the stalks off the coriander sticks for my mom. Both our parents were working and they actively inculcated the value of sharing the household load among us kids. Kunal and I love doing chores together. But we do have domestic help around the house. However, as he and I love travelling, most of the time we are on the go. During this period we end up doing everything by ourselves including laundry.
On the occasion of women’s day, Kunal, what steps do you propose for men in our country to empower women?
They say, if you educate a woman, you educate the entire family; this in turn leads to an educated society. Women these days are gaining equality in the work places and this is evident in the rise of the number of women CEO’s the world over. However, that sort of equality is not seen amongst most Indian households even in this day and age. At the grass-roots level, we can actively ensure that the age old burned of levying the household chore on women is significantly lightened by husbands and men alike sharing the laundry load. For the same I propose taking the Ariel Wash Bucket Challenge to show your support for your woman and join in the movement to empower women. After all, empowering women to empower the nation leads to a progressive country.
In recent times, we have seen a rise in the number of young people getting married. What advice would you give to the youngsters of today’s age for a successful marriage?
Hundred per cent commitment is important for a happy marriage. Being equal partners in a union as special as marriage is paramount. In today’s day and age, it is a notable fact that 74% of Indian women want their boyfriends to commit to doing the laundry before marriage itself. Boys, it’s time to take a cue from this which is why I have joined Ariel’s Share the Load movement for a happier marriage.