Actor Pankaj Tripathi, known for his powerful performances in Bollywood, has been married to his high school sweetheart Mridula for 20 years. However, despite their long-standing love and commitment, the couple continues to face family struggles, particularly from Pankaj’s mother, who has yet to fully accept Mridula as her daughter-in-law.
In a recent interview on the Conversations with Atul YouTube channel, Mridula candidly spoke about the cultural and status differences between their families, which have been a source of tension since they first got married.
The couple’s love story began during Mridula’s brother’s wedding, where she first met Pankaj, who was in 11th grade at the time, while she was in the 9th. Their relationship blossomed over 12 years of courtship before they finally tied the knot in 2004. However, their union wasn’t easy, as love marriages were not the norm back then, especially in their community.
Cultural Barriers and Family Disapproval
Mridula shared that the root of the tension lies in cultural traditions, which made their marriage controversial within their families. “It’s still not acceptable. We aren’t blood relatives, but in our culture, it is unacceptable for a woman to be married into a family of lower stature if another woman has already been married into a family of higher stature,” she explained. This situation arose because Pankaj’s sister had already married into Mridula’s family, creating a taboo against Mridula marrying into Pankaj’s.
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Although Mridula was almost married to someone else, she decided to reveal her relationship with Pankaj to her father, which caused a significant uproar within the family. “There was a tehelka, a bawaal (a ruckus). Bhabhi wasn’t happy, mom wasn’t happy. She was concerned about how he’d take care of me. But slowly, they came around to accepting us,” Mridula recalled.
Lingering Family Tensions
Despite the passage of time and many family members accepting their marriage, Pankaj Tripathi’s mother continues to hold reservations. “My mother-in-law hasn’t accepted me to this day, for the reasons I mentioned earlier. She is still upset about this intermingling. But what can we do about it now?” Mridula said, acknowledging that some family issues have yet to be fully resolved.
A Love That Endures
Regardless of the challenges, Pankaj and Mridula have remained strong through it all. The couple, who got married in 2004, are now proud parents to their daughter, Aashi Tripathi. Their love story, marked by cultural obstacles and family pressures, serves as a testament to their resilience and dedication to one another.
