Politician Amar Singh and ex-best buddy of Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan made a statement recently that has made headlines. He said that the star couple lives separately. The Bachchans own three houses Prateeksha, Jalsa and Janak very closely located in Juhu. Amar Singh said while Amitabh Bachchan lives in Prateeksha, Jaya lives in Janak.
Reading this news my mind went back to a press conference with Jaya Bachchan that was attended by entertainment journalists from Kolkata way back in 2002. Jaya sprinkled the whole conversation with the press with “Amitji said this….” and “Amitji said that …” which is but only natural because they have been husband and wife for four decades now. But when Jaya Bachchan made the statement that whenever her husband is at home she always makes it a point to be back home so that they can have lunch together, there was a hush in the room.
Because entertainment journalists, who have been writing about Bollywood know for a fact from their sources that behind the smiles that light up the photos the relation between Jaya and Amitabh Bachchan has not been hunky dory. In 2002 we all probably knew they did not live together. So what Amar Singh says comes as no surprise, although it’s an official statement that has been dished out to the media for the first time.
Behind the perfect smiles, interviews and holidays that ideal couples portray in Bollywood there are plenty of ups and downs that they deal with in their everyday lives. Unlike in the west, where going separate ways is the most common solution to a marriage not working out, in India celebs often stick together because they feel fans still believe in the sanctity of marriage. Sometimes they stay together for children since parenting is priority and often it’s all about brand value.
But there are telltale signs about celeb marriages, signs that when read into, give away a lot on what’s going on in their personal lives.
Here are the signs:
Obsession with social media
Many celebs keep talking about their partners on social media often going overboard with mush or sometimes posting photos of their private dates, holidays or anniversaries and birthdays.
A research published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin says: On a daily basis, when people felt more insecure about their partner’s feelings, they tended to make their relationships visible.
In case of B’wood celebs it’s often an attempt to reinforce all is fine in their Paradise. Like recently Sussanne Khan, who divorced Hrithik Roshan a few months back, posted a picture of two of them holidaying in Dubai with their sons. Sussanne and Hrithik have maintained a dignified silence over their divorce and when the Kangana Ranaut controversy happened she came out to support him. In fact, right now her Twitter page is filled with good words and retweets on Hrithik’s recent release Kaabil.
This goes on to prove only one thing both Hrithik and Sussanne are trying very hard to show that all is fine between them even if they have ended their marriage.
Having a second or third baby
There is a trend that we have noticed in Bollywood. As soon there are rumors of a linkup or an affair the star couple end up having a baby often just to prove how solid things are between them.
Shah Rukh Khan took the whole thing to a new level. As rumors of his relationship with Priyanka Chopra started doing the rounds and the media started reporting about a possible rift between Gauri and him over Priyanka, the couple just went ahead and had their third child AbRam through a surrogate mother.
But they never answered to all the “whys” the media kept asking. Now Gauri and SRK are seen with AbRam everywhere and in the pictures posted on Twitter they are being perfect parents to the lovely child.
Many critics wonder if AbRam actually saved the SRK-Gauri marriage.
Gushing to the media
As soon a celeb is praising his or her partner too much in the media those are the telltale signs that something is amiss. Days before their breakup John Abraham would keep telling the media how Bipasha Basu looked like a dream whenever she walked the red carpet, how she was the most beautiful woman in the world. How he loved the way she worked out and kept herself toned and fit.
Industry insiders say that even when John was praising Bipasha and making public statements about being madly in love they had broken up. They were together just to keep the endorsement deals going for shampoos and other products they had signed together.
In fact, Farhan Akhtar is another case in point. Whenever he spoke about wife Adhuna Akhtar he would be gushing about how wonderful she is and how he has never had any linkup rumors because he is a complete family man. Months later they went their separate ways.
Linkups and rumors
Thanks to the paparazzi and yellow journalism that’s often the order of the day, sometimes rumors about a linkup get blown out of proportion. Sometimes PR machinery float linkup rumors before the release of a film. But when the celeb couple keep denying it vehemently there is a possibility that there is much truth in the rumor.
Like when for the first time the cracks appeared in the Hrithik-Sussanne marriage Hrithik over his alleged relationship with actress Barbara Mori, Hrithik had straight gone to a hotel in Mumbai after coming from an outdoor shoot and had not gone home. This fueled the rumors that there was trouble in his marriage. The very next day, the usually media-shy Sussanne Khan, gave an interview to an English daily saying that termite treatment was going on in their home that was why Hrithik had gone to the hotel.
But now we know there was much truth in the rumors.
Amrita dear, with your pen you are really intriguing. Looking at you I feel you are the bigger Star than those of Bombay/Mombay past-timers, save SRK’s son, for he is the future.