On their first wedding anniversary, Mrs Natasha Gambhir reveals a fun side to her focussed cricketer-husband

HE’S NOT SO GAMBHIR YAAR: MRS G

On their first wedding anniversary, Mrs Natasha Gambhir reveals a fun side to her focussed cricketer-husband

Natasha and Gautam Gambhir

    Gautam Gambhir’s been true to his name all through the ups and downs of his career, playing with the strictest focus, and keeping his private life completely private. He also talks only cricket, usually, so the world heard little from the pretty Delhi girl he married a year ago, who insists that he’s not so gambhir! But on their first anniversary recently, Natasha Gambhir and her husband sat down for a candid chat with BT, telling us what they like most about each other, and what they don’t.
Natasha, Gautam’s philosophy in life and about cricket is also why he wanted to be a cricketer How do you engage with that side of him? N: Actually, when he told me his first love was the Army and cricket was his second love, I was taken aback. I didn’t believe him. But now I’ve accepted it; I know he’s very patriotic. But that’s one side to him. There’s this other side that he doesn’t show to many people. Things also change after you get married. He likes travelling, shopping, he likes to go to new places, he’s not the kind who likes sitting at home. Even if we are at home (in Delhi) for four days, we are out every single day. But he’s not the kind to go partying or clubbing; he’s outgoing in his own way.
Gautam, were you ever concerned about how married life for her would be, considering the fame and attention? G: No. The most important thing was to find a girl who has a good head on her shoulders, because — as I’ve always mentioned — when you get married to someone who’s a public figure, it’s very important to be down to earth. Because it’s easy to get carried away, you’ll have a lot of comforts, but it’s important to have a good head on your shoulders to keep you grounded. I think I’ve got the right person.
And what is it you like about her? G: The best part about her is that she doesn’t discuss cricket with me. I play too much cricket, so I don’t want to come back to the room and discuss cricket again.
Did you wait for the right time to get married? G: My only decision was to get married after the 2011 World Cup. We’d known each other before that, but I wanted to play the 2011 World Cup because that was my first 50-over World Cup and I wanted to do really well. Luckily, we won, and I was the highest run-getter.
How has marriage changed you? G: I think she’s trying to take me out more — I try my level best that even after a long day and a game, I try and go out for one meal and spend time together. One big thing she’s trying to do is get me to be not to be so hard (on myself) in my profession, which I’ve always been. She’s trying to get me to relax.
N: I do understand — if I were in his place and I had to play so much, I’d be like him — I’d never go out. When you’re staying in hotels, you’re eating out every single day, so even when I’d come back home, I’d also want to relax. I understand that, since I’m doing a bit of that now, so yes, I’m a little more mellow.
G: I’ve started shopping now — when we went for a vacation after IPL, we shopped a lot. But before marriage, I would be the last person to do so. Now that you go out with her, you end up doing things she likes and that’s what marriage is all about – you can’t keep doing things that you’ve always done. Sometimes, you need to do what the other person wants to do as well. So I’ve started enjoying a bit of that.
After a fight, who’s the first to make up? G: (after exchanging a prolonged sheepish look): She gives up first — that’s a good quality she has. She’s been very patient till now (laughs).
Did it bother you — how much crowd and press there was at the wedding? G: Actually, we tried to make it as less as possible (the guest list) — Natasha’s family was very considerate in that sense as well, because I told them it has to be as less as possible. We couldn’t have cut it more, but we tried to invite very few and very close people, and managed to do that.
    I’m a cribber in that sense, to be honest, though — even if there are 100 people, I’ll always crib that there are too many people. But after I got married, I realised it couldn’t have been any less.
    They (relatives) have been very supportive in that (family obligations). I think there has been no pressure from her side that I have to go for dinners and all that stuff, and I think I’ve been very fortunate in that sense. That was one fear which I had before I got married — that I had to have a lot of obligations, but there’ve been none so far, so they understand…
What do you not like about each other? G: She doesn’t watch television — so I have the TV to myself all the time!
N: That’s true, I don’t watch TV at all.
G: And I only watch TV — that’s my favourite pastime, when I’m doing nothing else. And that’s one good thing. It might surprise a lot of people, but she doesn’t, at all.
N: If he’s travelling and busy for one month, the TV will be off for one month.
G: I can watch anything — movies, documentaries, cricket, sports. If I’m in the room and doing nothing else, the TV has to be on. N: I’ve got used to it now.
The last movie you two watched together? G: Gangs Of Wasseypur, and she didn’t like it. N: And he loved it! G: Haan, it’s a serious movie, lots of bloodshed and stuff — it’s a true story. That’s my kind of film, I can’t watch these romantic movies. I like action. N: I watch very few movies even in theatres. G: It depends, but I can’t watch those kinds of movies all the time. I like films like GOW, Paan Singh Tomar, etc. N: The only movie we both liked was Devil’s Double; at least that’s one! But Natasha, what do you not like about him? N: The fact that he watches TV and that he’s on his phone all the time! I also chat with friends on the phone, but not as much as he does. Isn’t it supposed to be the other way round — you the social one, and he the quieter one? N: Yeah, it’s opposite!
G: With people I know, I can spend a lot of time. But with people I don’t know, I can’t spend any time at all — those are the extremes of my nature.
How is it different touring with her along? G: There’s something to look forward to; after a bad day, there’s someone in the room waiting for you, you can go out with her, talk about something else. Earlier, when you had a bad day and there’s no one else, it felt pathetic. Now you can share how you feel — that made a huge difference. It’s very lonely at the top, but when you have your partner with you on the go, at least that’s taken care of because she understands and tries to change your mood. Even when it’s a good day, there’s someone to share your happiness with.