Friends or foes?

The curious case of the Roshans and the Rampals has made a lot of celebs wonder if it’s a wise idea for a couple to ONLY hang out with another couple.

There have been quite a few incidents where friends have turned foes because the laws of attraction were a little too strong to handle. In the past socialite Queenie Dhody got involved with her close friend, Anju Taraporewala’s husband, Farhad Taraporewalla, leading to a messy affair. But now, both Queenie and Farhad have moved on.

Sandalwood actor Ramesh Aravind loves spending time with friends. He and his wife go on couple dates quite often. But Ramesh believes that the friend circle shouldn’t be restricted to only a couple. “I prefer to have a wide circle of friends,” he says adding, “Besides it is very rare that the husband and wife get along with another couple equally well. Usually, one will always be closer than the other. So it is a kind of a blessing in disguise, as it ensures that there are no awkward moments when the four go out together,” he states.

TV actor and one of the contestants of Nach Baliye 6, Gurmeet Choudhary also has a similar opinion, “Hanging out with a different set of people every now and then breaks the monotony. However, that said I believe true friends are those who stick by you no matter what and only want your best.” The actor also suggests that every relationship must have a ‘lakshman rekha’ which should be maintained. “When that thin line is crossed that problems arise,” he states.   

From the looks of it, most celebs feel that couples should have a wider friend circle. However, danseuse and Kannada actress Rukminivijay Kumar opines that friendship is a very personal bond that can’t be determined by an individual’s relationship status. “I don’t see the harm in hanging out with the same bunch of people every time. You can only unwind and relax around people you are comfortable with,” she further adds. Dr Ruchi Gupta, a psychiatrist points out that it is healthier to mingle with different people. “That said, if two couples are extremely close, and one of them develops a problem in their relationship, it is unfair to put the blame on a third party. Problems occur between a couple due to their miscommunication and personal issues.

Blaming their close friends is uncalled for and is only an escape route,” she explains. Actress Juhi Babbar also agrees and states, “Very often people look for factors outside the relationship and pass the buck onto an outsider. Very rarely do people stop to think that the problem could be within. I don’t think anyone can be the reason for a relationship’s downfall, at the most they can only be a catalyst.”

One wonders, if so be the case, how did a certain ex-model and now a prominent actor get pulled into a couple’s brawl and get blamed for it? “It is the easiest way out. Don’t you see? It is the most believable thing, given the close proximity between the two couples. It’s an easy story to believe, even though for all you know, it may not have an iota of truth to it,” Ramesh asserts.