By: Lifestyle DeskNew Delhi | January 1, 2026 04:00 PM IST 4 min readSoha Ali Khan reflected on the advice she received from her mother, veteran actress Sharmila Tagore (Source: Instagram/Soha Ali Khan)Soha Ali Khan, who married Kunal Khemu after years of dating and living together, recently reflected on the advice she received from her mother, veteran actor Sharmila Tagore, before moving in with him.Recalling the conversation in a chat with Hauterflyy, Soha shared, “The only thing she told me was, for example, if you are going to live together before marriage, there are some men who might delay the marriage, and need a push. If you are waiting for him to propose, after living together, he might not feel the incentive to propose. So maybe think about that if you are going to live together. That’s what amma (Sharmila Tagore) said before we entered into the live-in.”She went on to explain how marriage wasn’t necessarily a priority for her and Kunal at the time: “Of course, eventually, he (Kunal) did propose and then we got married. But we did speak about where this relationship was going, and it was not pushy at all because marriage was quite irrelevant for us; we were very happy living together. But other people wanted us to get married for good reasons like stability, family, etc., so we took the step for them. It wasn’t like we were opposing it or that we wanted to live unmarried — it just was irrelevant. But we knew some people would be happy with us getting married, so why not?”Many people worry that entering a live-in relationship might delay or reduce the likelihood of marriage — how true is this concern?Psychotherapist Sakshi Mandhyan tells indianexpress.com, “This worry reflects a traditional mindset assumption where marriage is seen as the natural endpoint of any serious relationship. The reality is more nuanced: cohabitation can clarify readiness for marriage just as much as it can reduce urgency.”For earlier generations, she adds that marriage equalled security, social approval, and legitimacy. Today, the outlook is different. Younger couples often view marriage as one option among many ways to express commitment. Living together doesn’t automatically reduce the likelihood of marriage. It provides valuable clarity—testing compatibility in daily life before making a bigger promise. “What usually decides the outcome isn’t the live-in arrangement itself but commitment type: whether the couple is together out of dedication (genuine choice to grow together) or constraint (family pressure, finances, or convenience),” notes the expert.Pros and cons of treating marriage as a formality versus a necessityMarriage isn’t a binary lens construct that is to be seen as either “a formality” or “a necessity,” says Mandhyan. “It is an institution with a wide spectrum of roles that is to be learned, understood, and prepared for before taking a plunge into it.”Today, people want to think more holistically. They want to see how two individualities align and add to each other’s lives, which is a good starter. Some couples have started to see it as a social construct that doesn’t automatically guarantee happiness. When partners share deep trust and attachment security, they may not feel the need for formal labels. That can remove pressure and help them focus on the bond itself. The flip side is that marriage still carries practical weight: legal rights, social legitimacy, and family recognition. Treating it as irrelevant may cause friction with loved ones. For more lifestyle news, click here to join our WhatsApp Channel and also follow us on Instagram© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd