South star Vikram who is riding high on the success of Thangalaan recently appeared in Ranveer Allahbadia's podcast on YouTube. During the interview, he opened up about his marriage to Shailaja Balakrishnan. The couple has been married for 33 years. Calling his wife an “angel of sorts” Vikram said, “She has always been that source of support. She is a psychologist. She does a lot of social service and is constantly helping people. She is an angel of sorts. She is a Malayali and I am a Tamil so I guess my sobering thing that I have been grounded is also a lot from what she is.”
Speaking about the first time he met Shailaja, Vikram said, “When I saw (her) the first time, I felt something and she told me later that she heard bells and saw lights and all that stuff you normally see in movies. Some person had told her that you are going to meet this guy and you are going to fall in love with him. Maybe it was just a coincidence, so it happened.”
Vikram added, “It is very easy now. You can even have live-in relationships and everybody understands that it is love. But at that time, even talking to a girl was considered taboo (especially for) somebody who is half Christian, half Hindu and she's Hindu and a Malayali.”
During the conversation, Vikram continued that he was glad to have met his wife. “She is that factor in my life who keeps everything on even key. She is a very good mother, a very good friend who helps everybody. I hope one day, I can be like her. I think both of us have our faults and we have come to understand that and I think that's what marriage is all about. She has made herself an integral part of the family.”
Vikram disclosed that he was very different from his wife which makes their bond “very interesting.” “We are like chalk and cheese. If I want the air-con, she will say she doesn't even want the fan; I like to dress flashy, and she will say, ‘What is wrong with you'. When asked to name “the most beautiful thing about her” the actor revealed, “Her love for mankind and that she has got green eyes.”
Vikram signed off by saying that Shailaja was “obsessed” with his films, praying that they turn out well and receive love from the audience.
Vikram and Shailaja got married in 1992. The couple are proud parents to daughter Akshita and son Dhruv. Workwise, Vikram will next be seen in director GV Prakash Kumar's Veera Dheera Sooran: Part 2.