'Bangla tha, gaadi thi, lekin..': TMKOC's Sonalika Joshi on REJECTING proposals that asked her to quit working

Actress Sonalika Joshi, best known for playing Madhavi Bhide in the long-running sitcom Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, recently shared a deeply personal account of her marriage and career decisions in a candid interview with anchor Subhojit Ghosh.

Reflecting on the time when she was exploring arranged marriage proposals, Sonalika recalled how several potential matches came with conditions that clashed with her aspirations. “When I had an arranged marriage, maine kaafi rishtay dekhe. Toh kuch rishton mein mujhe yeh bola gaya ki ghar pe rehna padega, yeh sab chhodna padega.” She shared that many of these proposals came with tempting offers — bungalows, cars, financial security — but demanded she leave behind her identity and independence. “That time jab mujhe aise offers mile, toh haan — bangla tha, gaadi thi — lekin mujhe sirf ghar pe rehna tha, un logon ki hospitality maintain karni thi. Maine kaha, this is not my identity. So maine unko reject kiya.”

That time jab mujhe aise offers mile, toh haan — bangla tha, gaadi thi — lekin mujhe sirf ghar pe rehna tha, un logon ki hospitality maintain karni thi. Maine kaha, this is not my identity. So maine unko reject kiya

- Sonalika Joshi

Instead of material luxury, Sonalika dreamed of building a life alongside someone grounded and self-made. “Mujhe lagta tha ki koi banda aisa mile jiska background bahut bada na ho. Woh khud kama raha ho, khud se ghar khada kare, aur main usko help karoon. Dono milke apna ghar, apna aashiyana banayein. That was my dream, firstly about marriage.”

She eventually met her now-husband, Sameer, whose values aligned with hers. “Jab Sameer mila, tab uski salary bhi itni great nahi thi. But his family was educated — mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law — chaaron doctors the. Toh mujhe laga family achhi hai, educated hai. But koi bungalow system nahi tha — jo mujhe chahiye bhi nahi tha.”

What stood out to her most was Sameer’s encouragement and support for her career. “Unko mainly yeh chahiye tha — you can work, I would like it. So this is your choice. You can do it.”

The two have since built a balanced relationship based on mutual respect and understanding. “Us wajah se hum dono ne us cheez ko maintain kiya. He also respects my field. Aur agar main nahi hoon, toh he easily handles all the team.”

Through her story, Sonalika highlighted how choosing self-worth and mutual respect over material comfort helped her find true partnership, both at home and in her career.