Sharad Kelkar: Marriage played important part in my evolution

Actor Sharad Kelkar, who has completed 15 years of marital bliss with his wife, TV actress Keerti Gaekwad Kelkar, on Wednesday, says marriage has played a key role in his transformation from "a boy to a man" and has made him more responsible.

"For me, marriage played a very important part in my evolution as a human -- in the transformation from a boy to a man. It made me responsible. It has changed me for me. The last 15 years of married life have been beautiful. We have learned a lot. I always respected her for her life choices and how she influenced me," Sharad told IANS.

Amid a health crisis, the couple could not make elaborate celebration plans, of course. "We've spent every anniversary outdoors, hanging out with our group of friends. But it's different this time around. It's just the two of us with our little one. It's a different one, but the happiness is the same. We are missing our friends immensely, but once the lockdown opens up, we will celebrate our anniversary with them, too," Sharad, who is the father of a daughter named Kesha, said.

Sharad said his plans for Keerti on their special day included "making her favourite food and baking a cake", and taking "time off from my phone" to spend time with her. "These are tough times, so it's important to stick to each other and show compassion. We've done that every single day, and this day, of course, is extra special," he said.