She’s the breadwinner but Evam founder Karthik Kumar and RJ-singer Suchitra Ramadurai feel that ‘if he were earning more, the power balance would be exactly the same'. They speak to Femina about giving money battles a miss in favour of equality and common sense.
Suchitra Ramadurai and Karthik Kumar are unique because they don’t brush the difference in their earnings under the carpet or over-explain it. Karthik says that the way they function has always felt right.
Both Karthik and Suchitra feel that if he were earning more, the power balance would still be exactly the same. “We’ve used common sense and our own needs in our marriage, as opposed to tradition and things we’re ‘supposed to be doing’.” Suchitra says, “I do know other couples with the same financial balance as us,” she adds, “Unfortunately, some women overcompensate by making sure the husband is projected as the decision maker.”
Two years into their marriage, Evam, Karthik’s theatre company, took off in a big way. “The question then was if I should ask him to take over.” says Suchitra. “We decided that since my income was comfortably supporting us, his income could be ploughed back into the business.” Karthik says, “We both work very hard, save money for one big vacation a year, and have no extravagant expenditures.”
They say that things are changing a little today. Karthik says, “I see it among so many of my friends, and surprisingly their parents seem to have gotten their heads around the new equation too.”