Shivangi Verma: Marriage is mostly about sticking together, no matter what

MUMBAI: To give it what it takes, no matter what, that’s how you make marriages work, says actress Shivangi Verma. She adds that people are not willing to do that which is why marriages end in divorce. “People’s lifestyles have changed a lot. In the past, marriage was mostly about sticking together no matter what. But now, both men and women have their own careers and lives, so they don’t feel the need to stay in an unhappy marriage just to follow traditions,” she says.

She adds, “Technology has definitely played a role. With social media, people are more connected to the world and sometimes get tempted to compare their own relationships with others. This can create misunderstandings and make couples feel like their marriage isn’t as good as it should be. Also, online interactions can sometimes lead to issues of trust.”

Some people even say women empowerment is one of the major reasons for high divorce cases in India. But she does not agree, she says, adding, “I wouldn’t say women empowerment is a reason for divorce, but it has given women the courage to leave bad marriages. In the past, many women stayed in unhappy relationships because they had no choice. But now, women are more independent and can make decisions that are right for their own happiness and well-being.”

She says that marriage still stands on love primarily. “Marriage is definitely about love, but it’s also about understanding and compromise. If both people aren’t willing to put in the effort and make sacrifices, it becomes really hard to make it work. Sometimes people expect everything to be perfect without putting in the effort, and that can lead to divorce,” she says.

She adds, “It takes two people to make a marriage, and it takes two people to make it fail. Both partners have to take responsibility for what went wrong. Blaming just one person is never fair because a relationship is always about both individuals.”