A few days ago renowned composer A.R. Rahman and his wife Saira Banu announced their separation after nearly three decades of marriage, referring to emotional strain in their relationship. The news shocked fans and sparked discussions about the challenges faced by celebrity couples. Vandana Shah, the lawyer representing the couple, has been vocal in interviews about the divorce proceedings.
In a recent conversation with actor R. Madhavan, Vandana discussed important considerations for couples considering divorce. Madhavan shared his own experiences, revealing that his wife Sarita felt insecure when he first began his acting career. He shared that financial decisions played a crucial role in keeping their relationship steady over the years.
On the YouTube channel ‘For A Change’, Madhavan explained that during his early days as an actor, he was often seen as a heartthrob, which understandably created insecurity for Sarita. He said, “Obviously, this would create an insecurity for the woman. And having this insecurity is good enough for a marriage to become unstable. I used to ask my parents what they did, and they said, ‘We decided to spend our lives together so why assume that things are going to go wrong? We are going to say things are going to go right’. They always had a joint account for everything. I said, ‘That makes a lot of sense’'”
This approach of making a joint account helped build trust and transparency in their marriage, allowing Sarita to feel secure about their financial situation, the ‘3 Idiots’ actor shared.
Madhavan believes that this financial strategy worked well for them, as it eliminated any doubts about earnings and allowed Sarita to take charge of their household economics. “There was never a doubt about how much I am earning. She handles the whole economics. In fact, all the cars and properties we have bought so far… we are joint owners.”, he said.
He mentioned that he relies on his credit card while Sarita manages their finances.
The couple met before Madhavan became an actor when he was a communication and public speaking coach. After dating for eight years, they married in 1999 in a traditional Tamil ceremony.
