The institution of marriage was built by men, for men, said the Ritu actor Rima Kallingal recently adding that she regrets signing that paper.
In a freewheeling conversation with TNIE, one of the anchors of the Women in Cinema Collective and the star of films like 22 Female Kottayam, said that it took time for her to see that the institution itself doesn’t work for her. "It’s built by men, for men. I regret signing that paper. Love doesn’t need official approval... I’ll still love wholeheartedly, with or without it," she said.
However she hastened to clarify that there is no problem between her and her husband Aashiq Abu. The problem is with marriage as an institution...
"The problem is with marriage as an institution... it adds nothing and brings pressure instead. We love each other more now. We only signed because our parents wanted it, but it’s a trap of conditioning," she said.
To a query whether Aashiq would say the same about being married, she replied on the negative. "No, he’ll have his own take. But we understand each other. Both of us are strong-headed, yet love holds us... not the certificate. Aashiq and I are very different. He’s into tech and AI while I’m old school. I still write by hand and don’t even know how AI works (laughs). We disagree creatively at times, and that’s fine. Marriage hasn’t erased our individuality. We’re two people who just happen to share one signature (laughs)."
Rima Kallingal and Aashiq Abu, Mollywood director, were friends before their marriage. They became friends by discussing some socio-political issues, she had earlier said in an interview. They married on November 2013.