She's The Head, I'm The Heart Of Our Relationship: Filmmaker Abhishek Jain

Abhishek Jain is a young and dynamic filmmaker and the founder of CineMan Productions Ltd. An alumnus of Whistling Woods, Mumbai, Jain has assisted Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Subhash Ghai on Guzaarish, Saawariya and Yuvvraaj. His Gujarati language films, Kevi Rite Jaish and Bey Yaar, have both garnered several accolades within and outside the industry. He is following up with his upcoming project, Wrong Side Raju.

I must begin by congratulating you on the trailer of your upcoming film, Wrong Side Raju. I, for one, thoroughly enjoyed it and am now looking forward to the movie! I was researching you and I realised that there is absolutely no information available online about your spouse. Is that an indication of the level of privacy you like to maintain?

Thank you for the kind appreciation. Well, yes, you can call it a conscious effort we make. Actually, my wife is a very private person and prefers to maintain a low profile online. She does not indulge in vocal self-expression online.

How did you two meet? Was it a love or arranged marriage? 

It was an arranged marriage. The families met, our parents introduced us to each other and we have been happily married for four and a half years now.

What is ‘love’ to you?  

Love is something that keeps you moving while being a safe space that allows you to just be.

What are your individual personalities like and how do you make it work as a married couple? Who is more romantic between the two of you? 

Though we are professionally poles apart, our personalities, tastes and choices are the same. We are adventure freaks, foodies, quite understanding towards each other, with zero ego issues. That amount of similarity works ideally for us. She is the stark opposite of me in many ways and yet we are very similar. That keeps us together. As far as romance is concerned, she is by far more expressive than I am. I am someone who speaks through actions.

How do you think your marriage is different from that of your parents? 

In my parents I see a husband and a wife, whereas we embody two best friends, lovers, companions – there is a world between the two of us.

What has been the best moment as a couple so far?

We have recently become parents to a beautiful son. I would say the entire process of pregnancy – those nine months – have been amazing for us. The newness of this situation, being together at such a time, planning for the baby’s arrival, it was undoubtedly the best time of our lives as a couple.

What are your best qualities, the driving forces of your relationship?

It is her adaptability towards any given situation that we face which I find most admirable and from my end it is the constant communication. I ensure that we always talk everything out. I do not like to maintain any barriers or gaps between us and together these qualities drive this relationship forward.

One thing that you want to change about her.

I am in a profession where I have to work with intuition. At times, her logic bogs me down. There doesn’t have to be logic to everything that we do in life. Some things are just meant to be the way they are. She is very calculative and rational in her approach. In short, she is the head and I am the heart of this relationship!

Does your busy schedule and celebrity lifestyle, which involves travelling, etc., affect your relationship? How has your personal/professional life changed after marriage?

Since Shailey has come into my life, I have more discipline. I no longer hold late-night sessions with my team members. I switch my phone off at 10 pm every night and never carry work home. If I am supposed to be travelling, I ensure that the travel has been well planned in advance, with due diligence. She has changed me for the better.

Do you have any set goals in mind as far as your marriage is concerned? Or have you left it to time?

We are happy with one child and the place we are in as a family. No other plans or goals for our family. I was at that age and stage of life where I had decided to never get married. But then as luck would have it, I did get married. Today, I can tell you that this is the most beautiful thing that has happened to me. It has streamlined everything in my life, including me. As I always do, I want to advocate marriage to all young couples out there.

If you were to describe your marriage/relationship using the name of a Bollywood movie, what would that be?

We live in the moment, Shailey and I. So, the Bollywood movie to describe our lives as a couple would definitely be Kal Ho Na Ho.