Actors Anupam Kher and Kirron Kher have been married for 40 years. They tied the knot in 1985 after Kirron ended her marriage with Gautam Berry, with whom she had a son, Sikandar. Recently, Anupam shared that he doesn’t have the best marriage with Kirron and they stay in separate rooms. He also spoke about the time when they shared the same room and how Kirron would frequently imagine things going wrong.

“In a marriage of 40 years, it is very difficult to be only good. There are disappointments. My parents were married for 59 years, it was not the best of marriage. The best of marriage is to have mutual respect for the other person,” he shared with Filmfare. Speaking about his wife, Anupam shared, “She is sometimes extremely blunt, but later I realise, ‘She was right about this.’ She will see a film and she will say, ‘Kitna bura kaam kiya hai (You haven’t acted well)'”, the actor told Filmfare.

He further recalled a memory from the past and shared, “Back in those days, she would go hand-in-hand with me for trial shows and depending on my performance in the film, she would slowly remove her arm like she has nothing to do with me. She would then pinch me for acting so badly. She would say: ‘Yeh kya kar raha hai tu, mujhe barbaad kar raha hai. Pagal hogaya hai tu? (What are you doing? You will ruin me. Have you gone crazy?)’ Luckily, this has not happened in the last 10-15 years because I have done some good work.”

Talking about his marriage spanning four decades, Anupam said they are not typical husband-wife. “There is no ‘Aap’. We are like equals. We don’t have a filmy atmosphere at my house. Kirron is hilarious. Not intentionally. But, I find her hilarious. Mera comedy mein dimaag nikal jata hai.”

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Explaining why he finds her hilarious, Anupam explained, “She is superstitious. She also imagines things going wrong. This is not as much now, but this was there initially. Now, we all have our separate rooms, because everybody has their separate habits. Otherwise, if I go to the washroom, she will imagine that I will not put the lid back. She will imagine that I will not switch off the light. I have just stepped out of the bed and she will shout: ‘Light off karli? (Have you switched off the lights)’ And I would be like: ‘Kirron ji, abhi andar nahi gaya hu (I haven’t gone in yet)’ Her next question will be like: ‘Flush kar diya? (Have you flushed)’ It used to bother me a lot initially, but then it started to look funny to me. I used to think she is so funny.”

The actor added, “My marriage has seen its ups and down. But what has stayed with us is an amazing amount of compassion, mutual respect, kindness and friendship. It is the most important thing.”

Disclaimer: This article features personal anecdotes regarding marital life. Behavioral patterns vary across individuals; for guidance on relationship wellness or anxiety management, please consult a certified professional.