Imran Khan on casual hook-ups, sex and long-term relationships

Imran Khan on casual hook-ups, sex and long-term relationships

What’s your definition of love?
It is hard to define. When you feel very strongly for someone and care a lot about that person; when another person’s happiness is more important to you - that is the meaning of love for me.

Something like your screen character Jaivardhan Singh Rathore felt for Aditi Mahant (Genelia D’Souza) in your first film, Jaane Tu .... Ya Jaane Na?
Yes, you can say that.

What comes first - love or sex?
It is very hard to say, to each his own. But I think for most of my generation, sex comes first.

What is your take on extramarital affairs?
I strongly believe in fidelity. If you have fallen out of love with your partner, or are in love with someone else, you must be honest about your feelings. In a relationship, being honest with the one you love is the most important quality for me.

If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?
Love is not blind. Lingerie has more to do with sex and less to do with love.

Do you hate love stories?
No, I don’t. I loved watching Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet. The film starts after the break-up between these two on-screen lovers. They are not perfect for each other and have a number of issues to deal with. And yet they want to be together and reunite in the end. It’s a film that takes a real look at love.

What keeps your relationship strong?
We have very similar interests, which keeps our relationship going. I do not understand the concept of giving space. We love to share most of our free time together. Sometimes, when I am shooting abroad, Avantika accompanies me so that I can be with her after I finish shooting.

How did you know that she was the one?
Well, I am extremely happy to be with this particular person and am not happy without her. So she is the one. I realised after a few months of meeting Avantika that it wasn’t just attraction or affection I felt for her. I appreciate her being a part of my life.

When do you plan to marry?
It has been about eight years since we met. Now that I am financially secure, I have decided to take the next step. That’s why, this January, we got engaged.

Is marriage necessary?
For me, it is a natural progression in a relationship.

Shouldn’t marriages come with expiry dates? Or, better still, a return-and-exchange policy?
I do not believe in these theories. Life does not come with any guarantee. How I will feel for her in future, whether I will continue to feel for her with the same intensity, I don’t know. I will simply go by my instincts. We are humans, not computers. These things can never be predicted.

To what extent will you go to save your relationship, or would you look for someone else?
I will go to the extent that I want to.

What would you not forgive in love?
Infidelity and selfishness. I mean we are all selfish at some level, but somewhere you have to draw the line.

Monogamy is unnatural. Comment...
Not to me.

Do you have any keepsakes in the name of love?
On our third anniversary of being together, I got two white gold rings made and we gifted them to each other. We always wear them. Of course, I need to remove it while shooting.

When a man and a woman start liking each other, who should make the first move?
Anybody can make the first move. In our case, it happened from both sides. As we started spending time together, we could feel the chemistry.

How important is being in love to you?
Emotionally speaking, it is very important. Love makes you feel fulfilled, happy and content.

Do you have any pre-conceived notions about love? Any film or book that’s influenced you?
No film, book or mush for me. Like everything else, I have my own views on love and relationships.

Now that you are in love, what are the things you like to do?
Once you are an adult, things are very different. Life is not a movie. So, it is not as simple as saying these are the three things you love in a person. This is for real and real life is complicated. Love does not make me do or see things any differently.

Borrowing from Erich Segal’s Love Story, what does the line, ‘Love means never having to say you’re sorry’, mean to you?
It means caring about someone’s happiness