Bollywood icon Kajol recently offered an audacious take on marriage: she suggested that every union should come with an expiry date along with an option for renewal. In her words: “Marriage should have an expiry date with a renewal option. Then we don’t have to suffer too long.” While that statement brings a fresh perspective, it also differs sharply from what many other film-city couples have professed about love, partnerships and commitment.
Kajol has a long and celebrated marriage with actor Ajay Devgn, which began in 1999 and has now stretched for more than 25 years. In earlier interviews, she has emphasised that their success rests on their opposing personalities and a kind of shared ‘work’ ethic. She commented that if they were too alike, they might have separated long ago. She described their dynamic as one built on “selective amnesia” and “partial deafness” as key features that allow them to navigate the day-in-day-out of married life. Their approach celebrates tempering romance with pragmatism.
By contrast, her idea of marriage with a built-in renewal clause signals an even more radical view. Rather than enduring till a conventional lifetime, she frames marriage as an enter-and-re-evaluate contract. That places her more in alignment with modern models of shifting relationships rather than the traditional “till-death-do-us-part” narrative.
On the other hand, several other Bollywood couples have articulated very different perspectives. For example, the veteran duo Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan mark more than fifty years of marriage and speak of continuity and shared history. Their union is often cited as one of the industry’s most enduring. They have described their bond as grounded in family values, shared priorities and mutual respect without relying on sweeping romantic gestures.
Another contrast appears in the frequent commentary from younger stars who emphasise flexibility, collaboration and mutual self-growth. While they may not speak in terms of expiry dates, the underlying theme is that love and partnership must evolve rather than remain static.
How Kajol’s remark stands out
What stands out is how Kajol’s latest remark diverges from both the loyalty-centred model of the Bachchans and the growth-oriented model of newer couples. Her statement essentially questions whether marriage is set for life or merely until the requirements change. She opens the possibility of consciously renewing, rather than blindly enduring.
For audiences and fans, the takeaway is instructive. What these different texts of marriage demonstrate is that there is no single template for relationships — especially in a world where personal goals, careers and identity are evolving rapidly. Kajol’s “expiry” phrase forces a re-examination of how durable we expect marriage to be. Are we looking for everlasting vows or periodic recommitments?
Meanwhile, the contrasting examples of Amitabh and Jaya’s long-term continuity remind us that deep commitment is still valued, even in changing times. And younger couples’ emphasis on evolution and growth leads us to expect partnership as dynamic rather than static.
What we learn from these varied perspectives is this: marriage, love and partnership are deeply personal and contextual. One person’s longevity script may be another’s renewal cycle. The conversation itself matters, the willingness to discuss what marriage means to each couple.
Kajol’s stance may not be well received by traditionalists, but it reflects the broader shift in how relationships are framed in modern society. Rather than adhering to lifetime binds, some now ask for milestones, reviews and conscious recommitment. Her suggestion of an expiration followed by renewal may seem radical, but it prompts meaningful discussion: when does love morph into duty and when does duty deserve renewal?
In the end, the differing views among Bollywood couples show that whether we believe in continuity, renewal or growth, the health of any relationship lies in honesty, mutual respect and the ability to adapt. The mirror it holds up to real-life coupledom is this: find what definition works for you, rather than adopting one size fits all.
Those reflections may translate into more forgiving expectations and a recognition that even celebrities negotiate, re-work and rethink how they live and love. And maybe that is the real lesson across all these voices: relationships are less about status and more about understanding—especially when the script is written by the individuals themselves.