Despite growing up with icons like Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan, and being married to global star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan says he has never felt insecure, crediting his upbringing for it. In a recent conversation, the actor explained how his upbringing and belief in partnership helped him view success in relationships differently.
In a conversation with Lilly Singh, Abhishek Bachchan said that the idea of equality in a relationship was ingrained in him from the beginning.
“I had that at home as well, to get that out of the way. When my parents got married, my mother was the much bigger star than my father was. So it was not an unnatural thing. I wasn’t brought up to think that you have to be the dominant one; it was always about partnership.”
Talking about his equation with Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek recalled that their bond began as a friendship long before it turned into a relationship.
“I have known Aishwarya from the start of my career. The second film I did was with her, and she is the one actress that I have worked with the most. We weren’t in a relationship then—we were buddies, we were always friends.”
He explained that this foundation made their transition into a relationship seamless, and their marriage has always been rooted in equality.
“When we finally did come together, and throughout our courtship, engagement, and marriage, it was always about partnership. It was never, ‘I am going to bring the food and you take care of the house.’ It’s not even discussed, it flows very naturally.”
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Abhishek Bachchan on his idea of partenrship
Abhishek Bachchan also spoke about how his sense of self and “ego” has shaped his approach to both work and relationships. For him, ego is not about dominance, but about self-earned respect.
“I am not somebody who wants to win because somebody else laid down and let me walk over them. I was brought up with the belief that you have to earn your wins. My father didn’t launch me. Till date, he hasn’t made a film for me. In fact, I produced a film for him. Whatever I am today, at least I can say that I did it my way, on my own merit.”
He made it clear that he does not believe in a relationship where one partner has to step back for the other to feel secure.
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“I have never been a person who believes that somebody has to give up or stop running for me to win the race. I don’t want to be in a partnership, in a marriage, where my wife has to stop doing something for me to feel more like a man. Thankfully, my wife is someone who doesn’t think that way either.”
No rigid parental roles
Speaking further about parenting, Abhishek Bachchan shared that neither he nor his wife believe in rigid parental roles.
Abhishek said, “In my home, as parents, both of us try to be the best example for Aaradhya instead of telling her what is right and what is wrong. We believe in showing what to do by being that ourselves. It’s never been like, ‘Okay, I’ll teach her self-defence.’ If you’ve seen my wife, she can take care of herself. It’s never been divided like, ‘I’ll teach her self-defence, you teach her to be empathetic.’ No, it’s not that.”
Elaborating on this approach, he added, “It’s simply about leading a good, responsible life with your values and morals. Your child sees that, emulates it, and in that way, you’ve equipped them. So there’s no competition at home about who has to be the man or who has to be the woman. When it comes to children, we both believe you have to lead by example, not try to teach them what is right and wrong. Because what’s right for us might not be right for them. Generations change. Our world is very different, and our children’s world is going to be even more different.”
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Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan tied the knot in April 2007 in a private ceremony at their residence in Mumbai. The couple welcomed their daughter, Aaradhya Bachchan, on November 16, 2011.
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