Tahira Kashyap, writer and filmmaker, opened up about the financial challenges she faced in the early days of her marriage with actor Ayushmann Khurrana. In a recent interview with Official People of India, Tahira shared how her savings vanished within a year of their wedding, leading to an emotional breakdown that Ayushmann only understood in hindsight.
Speaking candidly, Tahira recalled, “I had spent some money on my wedding, but I had my own savings. But I didn’t have a job in Mumbai… This boy did not understand how we were getting the food, like how we were buying all of these vegetables, fruits. My bank balance was depleting. I had never asked anyone for money, even my parents. I had always been financially independent, but now everything went for a toss because it had been a year, and my bank balance was zero.”
The tipping point came over something as simple as mangoes. Ayushmann once asked her why she hadn’t bought any, unaware that she had been skipping them so he could enjoy them instead. “I was so angry because he didn’t notice that I wasn’t eating mangoes for two days, so he could eat. He asked, ‘What’s the problem?’ And I just started crying,” she recalled. “I asked, ‘How do you think we are buying groceries?’ He was like, ‘Oh yeah.’ I said, ‘My bank balance is zero. It’s been 7-8 months, and I am trying to figure out jobs, and we are spending only my savings.’”
It was a wake-up moment for Ayushmann, who had just begun his career as a VJ at the time. Tahira said he was surprised she hadn’t asked him for financial help, but she had always valued her independence. “By then, his journey had started,” she noted.
Ayushmann and Tahira’s relationship dates back to their school days. They married in 2008 and now have two children, Virajveer and Varushka. Despite the ups and downs, the couple has stood by each other — including during Tahira’s ongoing health battles. In April this year, she revealed that her breast cancer had relapsed after seven years, and continues to keep her supporters updated through social media.