By Abhishek Bachchan has never been one to overshare. But on the occasion of his 19th wedding anniversary with Aishwarya Rai, the actor opened up in a rare candid interview — and what he shared is already making headlines across Bollywood.
The actor called Aishwarya his soulmate, spoke about their quiet 19-year journey, and dropped one surprisingly simple — yet remarkably effective — secret to a happy marriage.
19 Years and Still Going Strong
Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai completed 19 years of marriage on April 20, 2026, having first tied the knot on April 20, 2007.
In an industry where celebrity marriages often face relentless scrutiny and public speculation, the Bachchan couple has quietly defied the odds. No grand gestures, no PR stunts — just nineteen steady years together.
Abhishek described these 19 years of marriage as a dream, and said he already has big plans for their twentieth anniversary — though he is not sharing details just yet.
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How Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Actually Met
The love story did not start with instant fireworks. According to Abhishek himself, the beginning was far more ordinary.
The two first crossed paths in 2000, on the sets of the late director Raj Kanwar’s Dhai Akshar Prem Ke — a romantic film that was a remake of the 1995 Hollywood movie A Walk in the Clouds.
Abhishek recalled that there was no inkling back then of what was to come. They got along well, but he had no sense that she was his soulmate at that stage.
That first meeting was purely professional. Two colleagues on a film set, cordial and collaborative — nothing more.
From Co-Stars to Soulmates: The Love Story
The shift from friendship to romance came years later, during the making of a very different kind of film.
Love developed on the sets of J.P. Dutta’s Umrao Jaan, and that is when Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai became a couple. The period drama, steeped in emotion and longing, proved to be an unlikely but fitting backdrop for a real-life romance.
During the shoot, the two would reportedly take hours to reach the set. Director J.P. Dutta grew so exasperated on one occasion that he cut one of Aishwarya’s elaborate costumes to pieces in frustration.
By then, their personal connection had already overshadowed the professional. And it only deepened from there.
The Role of Mani Ratnam’s Guru
If Umrao Jaan sparked the relationship, it was Mani Ratnam’s Guru that sealed it.
Abhishek shared that they got married a few months after the release of Guru, the film they made together with director Mani Ratnam. He described Ratnam as someone both of them consider a dear friend and godfather.
The film — a gripping biographical drama — gave the couple one of their finest collaborative moments on screen. Off screen, it marked the final chapter before their marriage.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan exchanged vows in a private ceremony at the Bachchan family home, Prateeksha, in Mumbai. Their daughter, Aaradhya Bachchan, was born in November 2011.
The Secret to Their Happy Marriage
This is the part of the interview that caught everyone’s attention.
When asked directly about the secret to his long and happy marriage, Abhishek Bachchan did not give a philosophical answer about trust or communication. He kept it simple — and surprisingly funny.
His advice: every night, before going to sleep, say “Sorry” three times to your wife without fail.
It is a small ritual, but it reflects something deeper — a daily act of humility and acknowledgment that keeps resentment from building. Whether you had a disagreement that day or not, the act of saying sorry keeps the relationship grounded.
In a world full of complicated relationship advice, Abhishek’s take cuts through the noise. It is disarmingly practical.
Aishwarya Rai: Mother, Partner, Soulmate
Abhishek did not just praise Aishwarya Rai as a wife. He was equally vocal about the kind of mother she has been to their daughter.
He described Aishwarya as not just the mother of his daughter Aaradhya, but also his soulmate, giving her full credit for raising Aaradhya with the right values.
Aishwarya Rai, one of Bollywood’s most globally recognised faces and a former Miss World, has stepped back from the public spotlight in recent years to focus on family. Abhishek’s comments make clear that her influence at home has been just as significant as her legacy on screen.
The couple has appeared together in eight films over the years, including Dhai Akshar Prem Ke, Umrao Jaan, Guru, Dhoom 2, and Sarkar Raj — making them one of the most prolific on-screen pairs in Hindi cinema.
Abhishek also once revealed, in a separate interview, that any public criticism directed at Aishwarya upsets him deeply — even recalling how criticism of her Cannes looks had troubled him even when they were just friends, well before their marriage.
That level of protectiveness and loyalty has clearly carried through into their marriage.
What’s Next for the Bachchan Couple
The 20th anniversary is already on Abhishek’s radar — and he has promised something special.
While he declined to reveal the specifics, he made clear that he has big plans for their twentieth anniversary. That milestone arrives in April 2027, and given the weight he places on their relationship, the occasion is likely to be something meaningful.
On the professional front, Abhishek Bachchan continues to be an active presence in Bollywood. He has steadily built a strong filmography independent of his iconic father, Amitabh Bachchan, carving out a distinctive space in the industry on his own terms.
For a couple that has weathered years of media scrutiny, rumour cycles, and the relentless pressures of public life in Bollywood, their bond appears more solid than ever. The 19th anniversary moment — marked not with a lavish party but with candid words — says more than any celebration could.
A Marriage Built on Honesty and Humility
Nineteen years in, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai remain one of Bollywood’s most watched — and most admired — couples. Their story is not one of overnight romance or headline-driven drama. It is a slow-building, resilient partnership shaped by shared work, mutual respect, and apparently, three sincere apologies before bedtime.
The simplicity of that secret is precisely what makes it worth remembering. It is not about grand gestures. It is about showing up every single day.
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