It comes from ego: Abhishek Bachchan rejects gender roles in marriage with Aishwarya

Actor Abhishek Bachchan opened up about ego, masculinity, and why he rejected traditional gender roles in his marriage to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. He also explained why he believes a partner should never have to "stop" for the other to feel successful.

Actor Abhishek Bachchan has said his "severe ego" stopped him from subscribing to traditional gender roles in his marriage to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, actor and former Miss World. The 50-year-old actor recently appeared on a podcast with actor and YouTuber Lilly Singh, where he shared insights about ego and partnership in his marriage of 18 years. Bachchan said his sense of self and masculinity is not dependent on making his wife feel less accomplished.

During the chat, when Singh referred to men who feel insecure in a marriage with a more successful partner, Bachchan said, "For me, it also comes from severe ego. I am not somebody who wants to win because somebody else lied down and let you walk over. I have been brought up to believe that you've got to earn your win."

Bachchan said he takes pride in the fact that he carved his own career, and that his father, megastar Amitabh Bachchan, never made a film for him. The actor, known for performances in films like Guru, Raavan, Dasvi, Dhoom, Yuva, and Paa, among others, elaborated on his "ego" comment.

He explained, "In essence, the reason I say 'ego', is because I have never been the kind of person who believes that somebody else will have to give up or stop running for me to win that race. That is my mental structure. I don't want to be in a partnership or in a marriage where my wife has to stop doing something because I need to feel more of a man about myself. And thankfully, my wife is also somebody who doesn't think like that either."

The 50-year-old emphasised that his relationship with Aishwarya has always been based on partnership. "When my parents got married, my mother was a bigger star than my father was. So, it wasn't an unnatural thing," he said, referring to traditional gender roles and success within a marriage.