Actor Jyotika has praised her husband Suriya for treating her as an equal in their relationship, revealing four factors she believes keep their marriage balanced: respect, appreciation, space and friendship between the couple.

Speaking during a chat with Galatta India, Jyotika said a couple is equal when they respect each other, appreciate each other, give each other space, and share a friendship, and that these four factors balance everything out. She added that appreciation and respect have to come from the male side, because most women already give respect and love, and when it comes from a man, it means a lot to a woman.

Two decades of partnership

Suriya and Jyotika married on September 11, 2006, in Chennai after dating for a few years. They have two children, daughter Diya, born in 2006, and son Dev, born in 2010. The couple recently renewed their vows at a castle in Scotland, with Jyotika sharing pictures and videos from the ceremony on social media.

Jyotika took a break from acting after her marriage to raise their children, returning to Tamil cinema after a seven-year hiatus. She recalled how Suriya was supportive when she took crucial career decisions, saying she started work, stopped when she wanted to, and moved to Mumbai with her children, with his support through the whole journey. The couple relocated from Chennai to Mumbai after the pandemic to be closer to Jyotika’s ageing parents.

What’s next for the couple

Jyotika said that when she calls it equals, it is not about being professionally on top but about appreciation, respect and space, which go a long way, adding that equality in a marriage has more to do with those qualities than with either partner dominating their profession. On the professional front, Suriya is gearing up for Jithu Madhavan’s action-comedy Scene, set to hit theatres on November 6. Jyotika last starred in System.