Nowadays, occasionally basking in the glory of their wives is a favourite pastime of all Bollywood actors. They not only regale at the prospect of being introduced as their wives' husbands but also accompany them to their work pursuits. However, it was not that rosy always. Playing second fiddle to their wives was the most scandalizing thing for all Bollywood natives before. Once married, all wives are supposed to be perfect homemakers and also go deaf, dumb and mute on their husbands' illicit affairs. In the '50s and the '60s, 90 % of Bollywood wives were a mere shadow of their famous husbands.
There were many instances which suggest that earlier actresses had to leave their career to be docile homemakers post-marriage and those who tried to be different from the trend had to go through a troublesome matrimony. At an award event, when filmmaker Kamal Amrohi was asked by his wife Meena Kumari to hold her bag so that she can go collect her award, he took it as an insult to his male ego and stormed out of the event. Similarly, Nutan's Naval husband Rajneesh Behl could never digest the fact that every time they are out it's his wife who used to hog all the limelight. He wanted to be the centre of attraction, which used to get badly eclipsed by Nutan's presence. Even our very own superstar of the millennium Amitabh Bachchan, apparently, couldn't stand his wife Jaya Bachchan being praised more than him as everyone regarded Jaya as more talented than him, a fact clearly depicted Hrishikesh Mukherjee's Abhimaan.
Today, it's a total departure from the way actors feel about their wives or girlfriends for that matter. For instance, Abhishek Bachchan beams every time he's with his actress wife Aishwarya Rai Bachchan even though it means Ash being the centre of all attraction. In an interview to a journalist he admitted, "All men dance around their wives, so do I." Abhishek, in fact, has no qualms being addressed as Aishwarya Rai's husband in Hollywood. He says, "I'm proud to be married to someone as beautiful as Aishwarya. I'm fully aware that a lot of people envy me because she is my wife."
Even a very reticent Ajay Devgan finds it equally rewarding to be at home minding his daughter while Kajol pursues her career. Contrary to rumours that Ajay was dead against Kajol continuing her filmy career, he actually encourages her to do roles, which enhances her acting prowess. "What is the big deal if Kajol shoots 60-75 days in a year? For the rest of the year, she is a hands-on mother and wife. I see no reason why she shouldn't pursue her acting career when she is so much in demand. In fact, I'm proud of her being an actress and my wife," explains Ajay.
However, the one who's not only exhilarated at his wife's increasing popularity but is also the most supportive of all is Akshay Kumar. Twinkle Khanna is regarded as the most successful star wife in Bollywood. Her candle and interior designing business are flourishing day in and day out in India and abroad alike. Says a proud Akki, "Tina is very good at her job and very much in demand."
Many more justly share space with the above actors. Perfectionist Aamir Khan who believes in getting nosy with the scripts of the films he acts in, has given a free-hand to wife Kiran Rao to develop the script of Dhobi Ghaat and shoot it according to her way. Raj Kumar Hirani encouraged his wife to pursue a career in aviation because she was fond of flying.
A place like Bollywood where actresses are showpieces in films and wives are just homemakers, the recent trend of actors encouraging their spouses to follow their dreams comes as a breath of fresh air. And we hope it's for the keeps.
Compiled by Filmnirvana bureau
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