31 Aug 2026 (Navroze Bureau) : Actor Arshad Warsi has recalled the candid advice veteran actress Jaya Bachchan gave his wife, Maria Goretti, before their marriage, warning her about the unique challenges of being married to an actor.
Speaking to Filmigyan, Warsi said Jaya drew from her own experience of being married to Amitabh Bachchan for more than five decades.
Jaya Bachchan Asked Maria: ‘Are You Ready for It?’
Warsi described Jaya as an “intelligent woman” and recalled that she told Maria that marrying an actor was among the most difficult things in life.
According to Warsi, Jaya asked Maria whether she was prepared for the unusual circumstances that can come with an actor’s profession, including spending time around attractive and interesting people.
‘We Hang Out With Very Interesting People’
Warsi explained that an actor’s profession can place them in situations that may be different from those experienced by ordinary couples.
He said the challenge is not necessarily about an actor’s character, but about the environment their work creates and the constant attention that can surround them.
Jaya Spoke From Personal Experience
Jaya’s advice came from her own long marriage to Amitabh Bachchan.
The couple met while working in films and married in 1973. Their marriage has lasted for more than five decades, giving Jaya firsthand experience of the pressures and demands that can accompany life with a leading actor.
Arshad and Maria’s Long Marriage
Arshad Warsi and Maria Goretti married on February 14, 1999, in a ceremony that included Christian and Islamic traditions.
The couple later registered their marriage in January 2024 and have largely kept their personal life away from constant public attention.
Love Has to Go Beyond Attention
Warsi said Jaya’s broader point was that relationships involving actors require partners to look beyond the professional circumstances surrounding the entertainment industry.
He suggested that love and trust need to remain stronger than the attention and situations created by an actor’s career.
Jaya’s Views on Marriage
Jaya has previously spoken about her own marriage and the depth of her feelings for Amitabh Bachchan.
In a 2025 interview, she said she had been married to the same man for more than five decades and described their relationship as love at first sight.
Warsi’s Candid Take on Bollywood Relationships
Warsi’s recollection offers a glimpse into the realities of relationships within the film industry, where actors routinely work closely with co-stars and spend long periods surrounded by people from the entertainment world.
His account also shows why Jaya felt it was important to give Maria an honest perspective before their wedding.