Devendra Fadnavis, wife Amruta's secret to a happy relationship: Husband must say sorry first

MUMBAI: The rough-and-tumble of politics may have made Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis appear a hard-nosed leader, but according to his wife, deep inside he is a romantic and emotional person.

Amruta Fadnavis, a professional banker herself, shared nuggets of her personal life in a candid chat with actor Riteish Deshmukh at an event here and also broke into a popular Hindi romantic song with her smiling husband by her side, much to the delight of the audience.

The event was organised by the Lokmat group Wednesday night.


Asked whether Devendra Fadnavis (48), the first BJP chief minister of Maharashtra, is a romantic person at heart, Amruta was forthright in her reply.

"He (Devendra) never notices what I wear or how my hairstyle is...or whether I have lost or gained weight. He is so engrossed loving me that he can not differentiate the changes in me...and therefore, I think he is very romantic person.

"And the most romantic thing which he has given to me ...is my daughter Divija," said Amruta, who is also a singer.

Asked what is one secret about Devendra Fadnavis that people don't know, Amruta said her husband, who is just seven months away from completing his five-year term in office, is a very "emotional" person.

"Once we were watching `3 Idiots' movie and over a scene, I saw him weeping," she said with her hand gesture showing flow of tears from Fadnavis's eyes.

To another query about who says sorry first in case of argument between the couple at home, Devendra Fadnavis said, "The fact of life is that husband has to say sorry first."

Amruta said at home he is the boss, while she is the decision maker.

Asked when was the last time the couple went to theatre to watch a movie, the chief minister, acknowledged his moving from hometown Nagpur to Mumbai after assuming charge in October 2014 has changed his life.

"Dukhti rag per hath mat rakho (don't touch a raw nerve). Ever since we have moved here in Mumbai, we have never gone out for a movie," Devendra Fadnavis said.

Asked what kind of movies they like, Amruta said, "He likes fun movies such as `Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro', `3 Idiots' etc, while I like romantic films."

To another query about who attends the parent-teacher meetings at their daughter's school or whether the principal himself comes to `Varsha' (Official residence of the chief minister), Devendra Fadnavis said their high-profile position does not mean they get any relaxation in norms.

He said the school authorities are very strict in granting leaves and once they "sent me a strong note when I had applied for two-day leave for Divija".

Asked what he does when he gets angry with someone, the chief minister said he generally keeps his temper under control, but cools down very quickly if he vents his ire.

"I normally don't get angry, but there are times when you have to show the aggression that you are angry. In such circumstances, I do a little bit of acting to show that I am not happy. But when you meet me after 15 minutes, you will get to know who exactly I am," he said.