Midway through the interview, the self-admittedly embarrassed actor Rajesh Kumar quips, “I have a 16-year-old son, and in a couple of years, he will probably bring his girlfriend home, and here I am answering questions about my ishq!” Rajesh has done serials galore, but one of his most remembered characters is Rosesh in Sarabhai vs Sarabhai. Sarabhai was telecast in the same year Rajesh married Madhavi.
Q. Where did you meet Madhavi, who later on went on to be your wife?
A. Madhavi and I were going for a one-day shoot of Kashmakash in Pune by the Deccan Queen train. Madhavi didn’t notice me, but I noticed her. It was love at first sight for me. It was a pleasant Pune evening. We were shooting at a bungalow with the highway as a backdrop. During the breaks, Madhavi and I would while away our time on a swing. I had already gone through the logbook and memorized her phone number to impress her, and she was suitably impressed. On our way back to Mumbai, we stood near the exit of the train compartment and continued talking for the next three hours till we alighted at Dadar station.
Q. Which qualities of hers did you find attractive?
A. At that age, you are not looking out for qualities; you want to have conversations to figure out if there is compatibility. So we talked, talked, and talked. She was a good listener, and I was the one who spoke a lot, so we were a good match.
Q. Where did you guys go for your first date?
A. Club 9.
Q. Did you take anything for her?
A. I’m not a gift or flower person. In public, I am self-conscious even to hold her hand. My hands begin to perspire. I am not a baby-shona person. I still call her Madhavi, and she still calls me Rajesh.
Q. For how many days were you guys dating each other?
A. We were dating for four years before we got married.
Q. Who said “I love you” first?
A. I did. Girls take time to say “I love you.”
Q. Who proposed marriage?
A. I proposed marriage. After going out for two years, we decided to marry, but there was some misunderstanding, and we separated. We told our parents that we didn’t want to get married to each other and they could find a suitable partner for both of us. On December 31, I got a message saying “Happy New Year” from Madhavi. It shook me up very badly. I was at a party, and I called her up and told her I would like to meet her. We met. I asked her if she would still consider marrying me. She said I would have to convince her parents. Now I was faced with the challenge of convincing both my parents and her parents that we were serious about getting married to each other. Fortunately, two ladies who shared the name Jyoti came to our rescue – my sister and her maasi.
Q. Did you guys fight during your courtship days?
A. Yes, we did.
Q. Who would say sorry first after a fight? Do you believe one must not sleep over a fight?
A. You should not carry a fight forward. My favorite line these days is: Do not carry baggage, just luggage. But sometimes, baat khatam nahin hoti hai, neend aa jaati hai.
Q. Who says sorry after a fight?
A. She doesn’t say sorry. Not then, not now after marriage. But when you meet in your twenties, you become habituated to each other’s nature. After husband and wife cross the age of 60, they become like siblings and fight like cats and dogs, but it does not amount to anything.
Q. Who is more possessive between the two?
A. Neither. Both of us are bindaas. Jisko jahan rehna hai, raho. I repeatedly tell her that the short separations we have due to work commitments help us keep the long separation at bay.
Q. Who is the cleanliness freak?
A. I am.
Q. Who is funnier?
A. I was nominated for the best actor in a comic role. That says it all.
Q. Who is more short-tempered?
A. Initially, I was quite short-tempered, but now she is. Age is catching up.
Q. How has your relationship changed from the time you were boyfriend-girlfriend to husband-wife and thereafter parents?
A. We have evolved in our relationship. We have learned to make adjustments. We will never do anything that hurts our children. I believe that single parenting is not ideal. A child has two cheeks; he needs a kiss from both his mother and father.
Q. If Madhavi criticizes your performances, do you take it in the right spirit?
A. I think I take it in the spirit (laughs). Since I have evolved as an actor over the years, she comes to me for suggestions, which makes me feel elevated.
Love for you is: Life.
