Nawazuddin-Anjali Divorce: Why do Celebrity Marriages Fail so often?

Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s wife Anjali has apparently sent him a divorce notice via whatsapp and e-mail last week. The Actor is currently under Quarantine in Uttar Pradesh after having Travelled last week. This Sad news is the latest in a series of Bollywood stars failed marriages in the last 5 years including Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, Malaika Arora and Anurag Kashyap/Kalki.

In India, the divorce rate has increased over the last 20 years but it is still much lower than Global Standards. India’s favourite country Israel has 3 times the divorce rate (as a % of marriages) as India. In fact, even India’s celebrity marriages fail less often than say Hollywood marriages where every actor or actress has married 2-3 times.

Celebrity Marriages Fail for different reasons than ordinary marriages

1. Time spent together : Most celebrities tend to travel a lot. Whether it is movies or sports, travel is an integral part of their lives. While spouses do travel with them once in a while, it is not always possible given their own responsibilities. Also, even during travel, it is not possible to spend a lot of time together as people tend to be very busy during a work trip. Lesser time together means lesser sharing of Good or Bad and lesser time to build and sustain a loving bond
2. Constant attention from Others: Unlike Ordinary people, celebrities are constantly under the gaze of the opposite gender. They have easy access to really attractive women and men because of their celebrity status and Money. There is little to risk for the other person and while most celebrities do not have serial affairs, it is difficult to keep resisting opportunities to come by their way
3. Superman/Superwoman Complex: Some celebrities are quite difficult to deal with given their ego and sense of entitlement. Their spouse put up with it because it is both socially and financially rewarding. But there comes a time when the ever tolerating Spouse decides enough is enough and moves on with his/her life
4. Age: Look at the age of each of the above actors – Nawazuddin is 46, Hrithik was nearly 40, Farhan Akhtar was 42, Malaika was 42, Anurag Kashyap was 42. It is no coincidence that they are all in their 40s. This is an age when people tend to question both their professional and personal choices leading to confusing and sometimes irrational behaviour
5. Tenure of marriage: Another factor related to age is that as couples cross the 15 year marriage mark and their Children slowly start to become independent and more mature, they decide to finally exit what may have been a bad marriage for a long time. If one reads Anjali’s divorce notice, that is what she seems to say.

In sum, while marriages are made in heaven, they can become a hell even on Earth. A marriage may fail because of one or both partners but in its success and in its failure it is shows to us who we truly are, even if it is true for that moment only.