Exclusive: Sanam Johar and Abigail Pande get candid on their live-in relationship; the former’s mother suggested they should stay together

It’s been more than 10 years of togetherness for telly couple Sanam Johar and Abigail Pande. The couple has been very candid about living together since the very beginning of their relationship. ETimes TV caught up with Sanam and Abigail, who spoke at length about how they have been going strong in today’s day and age and also their mother joined to make some interesting revelations. Excerpts:

Abigail: There is no answer to this. I keep telling him also that I don't understand it because it's been 10 years almost that we've been together. Today also, if for three-four hours I'm not next to Sanam then I'll feel like okay now I want to go and meet Sanam. It has no reason. He's my best friend. Everything that happens, I have to call him and tell him. And you know, my day is incomplete without having spoken to Sanam.

Sanam: I think it's just that we make a good team I think eventually it's that only. We balance each other out. And I think, honestly, I think we just lucked out. We found each other in a very correctly at the wrong time. I think it's just very effortless.

Sanam: My mom suggested us that we should live together.

Sanam’s mom: They used to sneak out to meet. I told them why to sneak out, better live together.

Abigail: So his society had a rule. We both were working for 12 hours. He was busy with his work. So we could only meet post 9-9.30 in the night. And his society didn't allow friends after 8pm in the night. So we were trying to meet and then time was not matching. So then she suggested that why don't you guys just get a place together and eventually figure out to stay together or not. I think this confidence is because I think parents were supportive. That's why we were able to say as much as we can.

Sanam: A lot of people are not able to do about choosing their people because I think sometimes people around don't support. I think that's why I started with that we lucked out.

Abigail: You know initially I did because I think we’re conditioned to thinking that so much time has passed to next step is marriage. But I think with time we've realised now we're staying together, everything is like a marriage. I think now that is just a formality. Right now we're just focusing on our work, on our careers and we don't feel the need or there's no insecurity jaise hota hai ki oh abhi kar lete hai shaadi. With him, I'm always like 100% confident that come what may, you know, we'll be there with each other. These days, marriage, no marriage, if it's not compatible, it just doesn't work out. So I think that way, we're friends, we are lovers, best friends, partners.

Sanam’s mother: Whenever they say they can get married. We 3 stay together. They have one bedroom, I have one. But I have got Abigail’s shaadi ka joda ready.

Abigail: We got jewellery and everything ready long back. I think if I get married, I will do it for the jewellery.

Sanam: See, we are a family. I fight with my mom a lot. But with family, you come back. We fight, we come back. We don't make it difficult for each other. We try to not... We don't trouble each other. We irritate each other. But that happens in every household.

Abigail: With every relationship, friends, lovers, parents, you know I think it's better, na, ki aapke jo dil mein hai, jagda karke nikal lo, rather than just living with it and not talking about it, I prefer that ki ladai jhagda karo and then sort kar lo. Apne aap, you know, things get better. I can't even be angry for a long time on Sanam.

Abigail: Of course they do. It's going to be a lie if we say that, oh, we don't need followers. Of course, we're working hard for that. Everyone is making reels these days for that. So, yeah, it's a platform where you have to be active and then you get appreciation. Who doesn't like being appreciated? So, yeah, followers are very, very important. I think it's part of the profession. So many castings are happening on the basis of how many, insta followers you have so yeah it's definitely important abhi now fortunately unfortunately. It's a very important part of our profession; it's like your showreel in itself. That's why I think we work also so hard towards it and maza bhi ata hai. It just gives us a chance to create something of our own when we are at home and you know not really busy with work.

Abigail: Directly asking for followers is a little rude. So they ask us send us our Insta profile. But it has been subtle. I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing. I think people who have more followers work towards it. So it's okay. I think it's part and parcel of our profession.