Anushka Sharma on why she and Virat Kohli make for a perfect couple
Anuradha Choudhary (TIMES LIFE; September 15, 2019)

The assumption is that a married actress stops getting offers…
Yeah. If you are married, people ask, “Is she pregnant?” They love to read into something when there really isn’t anything. It’s so hard for people to believe that someone would like to take time off to be rejuvenated. You shouldn’t deny yourself that because it’s important to think fresh; then you can take the right decisions. Also, I’m not the sort who slyly talks about the films I’ve turned down. Since I don’t do that on principle, it’s conjectured that I don’t have films. Please give me some credit. I’ve been working for 10 years now.

Rumours of pregnancy keep filmmakers away...
What irks me is the clarification part. Do I need to clarify? Nahi! But then that’s how it is. Any actress, who gets married... sabke baare mein, they have said something. Someone could be wearing clothes that are loose because they are trendy. But they are said to be pregnant. It’s like a monkey on your back. You can’t do anything about it. You just ignore it.

How did you manage to keep the wedding under wraps?
We wanted to keep it genuine. We didn’t want it to be adulterated and touched by anything that would remind us we are celebrities. We were with our parents and our siblings, who have sacrificed so much for us, our closest friends, who’ve supported us through our worst. If we’d allowed it to become public in any way, we would be reminded of our public standing. We just wanted to be like two people in love. We never counted for who we were publicly when we fell in love. Our beings fell in love. We wanted to feel that purity at our wedding. That’s why we kept it so close to our hearts and away from anything that’d make us think about anything other than us.

What has it been like in the last one and a half years?
I’m married to my best friend. I’m married to my confidant. I’m married to someone I love so dearly just because of the human being that he is. You talk about being misunderstood in life and then you meet someone who understands you completely. Then the world doesn’t exist. So for him and me, when we are together, the world ceases to exist. We find solace in one another because of the similarities we share as people. Even when we were dating each other, it was the same thing. I feel extremely happy because he’s my family.

Would you recommend marriage?
Yes. But you have to find the right person and you have to marry for the right reasons. You should marry because you feel right about the person. You should marry because the person fills you up. Marriage should never be a compromise or a settlement. You have to understand that it’s a commitment. It’s a promise. And you only promise something that holds value. So, you need to find someone who understands that value and its sanctity. For me, relationships have to be pure. I have very few friends, but they are special. I want authenticity, realness. I can’t tolerate things that are fake.

They say when you are happy inside, you tend to work more…
Yeah, you feel more settled, more driven. Maybe because you are not all over the place. Your mind is like, ‘I want to be consumed by work’. And when you are with each other it’s just about each other.

Does it at times take away from work, because you only want to be with that person?
No, not at all. In fact, it rejuvenates you. You need to have that balance. There has to be a purpose in life. You can have a shared purpose or shared values you are working towards... I love being on the set. Virat’s also as passionate about his profession. The good thing is that both of us have been in professions that are demanding and in the public eye. So, we are good at helping each other deal with the pressures; making sure that the other is in a good mind-space. At times, he motivates me, at times I do. It’s like we are one.

Virat has said you’ve helped him in ‘temper management’...
He’s one of the calmest persons I’ve met. Off the field, he’s so relaxed. You can ask my friends, my team. He’s like that on field only because he’s so passionate. He’s not aggressive in real life. That’s only his demeanour on the field. He’s the most shaant person I know. I look at him and I’m like, ‘Wow! You’re so chill’.”

How different are you from each other?
Honestly, we are quite similar as people. We like doing the same things. We get such little time to be with each other that when we are together, we just want to chill. We are happy just walking around when abroad. We just want to spend that time being normal – buying water or knickknacks at the supermarket. Both of us take pleasure in these little things. I find it hard to say what ways we differ in. Of course, there are occasions when we have to go out and I do get late in getting ready. It’s not like I’m 15 minutes late. I could be just seven minutes late and he’ll be hovering around me. Then I’m like, ‘This is going to make it worse. Please go and sit down and let me get ready’.

Does he ever discuss cricket with you ever?
Yes, his mindset. For us it’s important that both of us stay in a good space, a positive mind-space. We owe that to each other.

How do you deal with trolls on social media?
Honestly, I don’t pay attention to nasty comments. Trolling says a lot about society at large and about the people who make nasty comments. The sad part is they are half-baked and uniformed opinions coming out with such great élan and confidence.