HYDERABAD: From a humble man living in a house worth `50, to a successful dubbing artist, actor, television presenter and now producer – Pudipeddi Sai Kumar has had a glorious journey. Sai Kumar, as he is popularly known, has seen it all, and experienced both highs and lows, but if there was one constant amidst it all – it was his wife Surekha. After 30 years of marriage, his affection towards is wife is clearly visible, as his eyes brighten and voice softens while mentioning her name. Happily married with two children – Jyothi and Aadi – Sai Kumar reflects on his incredible marital journey.
Meeting for the first time
“It was an arranged marriage. She is my father’s sister’s daughter, and being the eldest son of my family, they proposed her name for marriage and my parents agreed,” he recalls.
Right from the first meeting to discuss their alliance, there was drama in their life.
“Funny part is, on the day of the alliance to fix our marriage, I hurt my hand. I was playing with my dog, when I accidentally hurt my hand. So I had a cast when I first saw her. The only problem they (Surekha’s family) had with me was that she thought I was taller,” he shares.
Despite that, things went on smoothly and their marriage was fixed. “We were based in Srikakulam and after marriage, she automatically became part of my family. We have a big family and I always want all of us to stay together. Personally, I don’t like saying anything is ‘mine’, I would say ‘ours’. I always believe in ‘we’,” he explains.
Romantic ride
While Sai Kumar dreamt of taking his wife out in a brand new car, their romantic journey started in an unusually delightful way.
“There used to be a scooter in our house but after getting married, I wanted to buy a car. But at that stage, I could not buy it, since at that point, I was just a dubbing artist, my father was a struggling actor and we had a big family. However, the best part of my married life, was that we had a permanent auto. During the initial phase of our marriage, whenever we went to a cinema hall, we would also buy a ticket for the autowallah. Wherever we would go, we would travel in autos,” he passionately recalls.
“Our first car was a Maruti van, an omni. Since we had a big family, we wanted a car that would accomodate more people. The first time I took my wife in the car was also a memorable moment for me,” he says, as his eyes swell up with pride.
Falling in love
Even though it was an arranged marriage, it didn’t take time for the couple to fall in love.
“Incidentally, I call my wife ‘love’. In fact, we got used to calling each other that. Sometimes during public events too, I would call her by ‘Love’ and she would get embarrassed. I also remember the first time I made a romantic gesture. On a handkerchief, I wrote her name and spelt out adjectives for each letter – S for Sincere, U for Unique, R for Remarkable, E for Excellent and so on. So, that’s a cute memory,” he smiles.
“Basically for an actor, after all the tensions, going back home, we need that love. I’m a complete family man. When I’m not working, I dedicate my time to my family. My mother is my strength and my father is my voice. So in this process, my wife became everything to me,” shares the 54-year-old.
Glorious travels
Sharing an interesting incident, Sai Kumar says, he recently came across the first letter he wrote to his wife on his maiden trip to the United States.
“It was the first letter I wrote on foreign soil – I was sitting near the Statue of Liberty and I wrote on a Statue of Liberty postcard. I wrote, ‘Missing you all, the next time I come, I will bring the whole family’,” he recalls.
“And then, I made sure that I brought my whole family for foreign trips. Every year, we would go to various countries for vacation. As a father, I wanted to take my wife and children on foreign trips and I’m blessed to have done it,” he expresses.
Wife is life
So what does he like the most about his wife Surekha? “Her dedication,” pat comes the reply.
“It’s difficult being a housewife and carry a celebrity status. She is often referred to as Sai Kumar’s wife or Aadi’s mother. But she is extremely down-to-earth and grounded. She’s also very simple and lovable. She’s a wonderful mother and a sister-in-law and after marriage she assumed all responsibilities in the house,” he goes on to add.
Fights and challenges
Like every marriage, Sai Kumar too faces challenges in his married life but says their marriage always has the strength to pull through during turmoil.
“There were a few issues caused due to communication gap. But whenever we had a fight, it was for the family. When we got married, I told her that my mother is still the boss and that only she will take the big decisions. So at some stage, egos did get hurt but she took it in her stride and we overcame small hurdles,” he reveals.
“The cutest thing is that whenever she sees me romancing Soundarya or other heroines, she immediately changes the channel. She can’t see those songs. So sometimes, when we went together to countries like Maldives and Mauritius, whatever I did with Soundarya as part of acting, I would try do it with her in real life,” he says, laughing.
Lady luck and man-manager
While agreeing that his marriage was a match made in heaven, Sai Kumar also credits his wife for bringing him good fortune and prosperity.
“I would even say that she is my lady luck. After she came into my life, everything started rolling for me. Before that there were a lot of struggles but after marriage, we bought our first car, flat, properties, etc. She’s very practical and very good with managing money. She has taken some bold steps for the future of our children and family. She organises everything for me financially. In a way, she’s my manager,” beams the actor.
Spending quality time
With both his children being blessed with children of their own, Sai Kumar is looking forward to spending time not just with his grandchildren but also with his wife.
“Finally, I want to spend some quality time with my wife, something I haven’t done much for the past 30 years. I want to tell her, ‘this is for you’,” he signs off.