Since July, rumours that Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai have split have been making rounds on the internet. Though neither of them have commented on this, both have tried to put the rumours at rest. Aishwarya flaunted her wedding ring at the L’Oréal Fashion show at Paris Fashion Week in September, which made people think otherwise.
Now, Abhishek has expressed gratitude towards his wife for staying at home with their 13-year-old daughter, Aaradhya. In an interview with The Hindu, Abhishek also acknowledged the sacrifices his mother, Jaya Bachchan, made when he was born.
“My mother stopped acting when I was born because she wanted to spend time with the children. We never felt the void of dad not being around. I think at the end of the day after work, you come home at night.”
“In my household, I’m lucky I get to go out and make movies but I know that Aishwarya is at home with Aaradhya and I thank her immensely for that but I don’t think the kids look at it that way. They don’t look at you as a third person, they look at you as the first person,” he said.
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The actor reflected on his own experience of fatherhood and highlighted the difference in parental roles. “Being a parent, your children give you great inspiration. You climb mountains on one leg if you have to for your child. I say this with profound respect for mothers and women because what they do, nobody can. But a father does it all but quietly because he doesn’t know how to express or demonstrate it. It’s a flaw that men have. With age, kids realise how solid their fathers have been. They may be in the background but they are always there.”
Aishwarya Rai, crowned Miss World in 1994, married Abhishek Bachchan in 2007. Before their marriage, they acted together in several films such as Dhoom 2, Kuch Naa Kaho and Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke, to name a few. Rumours of their separation sparked when they arrived separately for Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's wedding in July.
Last week, Aishwarya posted a series of photos celebrating Aaradhya's 13th birthday. Abhishek was noticeably absent from the function.
Abhishek recently starred in Shoojit Sircar's I Want to Talk, which, despite positive reviews, is projecting a weak performance at the box office. The slice-of-life film follows the life of Arjun, a man who always looks at the brighter side of things no matter what, and his daughter Rhea. They lead a seemingly normal life until Arjun's medical diagnosis that would require surgery which could alter his entire life. The film also stars Ahliya Bamroo, Jayant Kripalani, Johnny Lever, and Pearle Maaney.