“Being the spouce of a man in the limelight has both, positive and negative implications, which one has to balance in such manner that one’s own priorities and objectives are effectively pursued.”
This was the sentiment expressed by two women who fall in the category of “famous man’s wife” – Amruta Fadanvis, wife of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis and Gauri Khan, wife of renowned Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan.
The occasion was the release of a coffee table book about the work of 25 women from the state of Maharashtra who have made outstanding contribution to the field of women empowerment and child development. Pune based Gravittus Foundation headed by Usha Kakade, wife of Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Kakade, has published the coffee table book. Gauri Khan and Amruta Fadanvis were the chief guests for the function and also released the publication.
MP Sanjay Kakade, Serum Institute Chief Executive Officer Adar Poonawalla, Credai National President Satish Magar, Symbiosis Pro Vice Chancellor Dr Vidya Yerawadekar, MLA Madhuri Misal and many other prominent persons from the city like Varsha Chordia and Sabina Sanghvi were present on the occasion.
Actor Sonali Kulkarni engaged Amruta and Gauri in a dialogue that sought to bring out how the two pursue their beliefs and inclinations amid the glare of attention they receive as a rub-off of the importance that surrounds the other half.
Amruta said she grew up in the family of doctors who engaged significantly in social service and her husband Devendra’s side is similarly placed. “Thus this inclination towards social work was imbibed in me and I continue the engagement to the best of my abilities,” she said. According to her, India is a country of economic extremities where poorest of poor co-exist with the richie-rich. “We can make an effort to reduce this gap with the help of education and awareness about health and environment,” Amruta added. While she finds music – singing as well as listening – a stress buster, she considers music as a force that binds the society together, Amruta said. “There are umpteen examples of great people resorting to music to convey their message. Many forms of music – such as folk music – exist, which connect the society,” she underlined.
Gouri asserted that design was always close to her heart and the feeling became sharper as she went about designing her home in Mumbai. “It was an exciting experience to start with a small set up and move to where Gauri Khan Design stands now,” she said. Gauri said she enjoys her professional and family life both and has been fortunate to have a husband who gives adequate time to family while doing justice to his work. “Being a famous man’s wife brings both positive and negative consequences but one can make choice to pick up the positives, not being bogged down by the negative,” Gauri said.
Usha Kakade, President of Gravittus Foundation, welcomed the guests. She stressed the importance of women being together and supporting each other in the challenging social milieu. The coffee table publication is a tribute to the work of women who stood the test of time and dared the social system to bring happiness in the lives of women and children, she said. The book has been edited by Megha Shimpi and Parag Potdar. The vote of thanks was presented by Deepa Khore presented vote of thanks.
