Some of the strongest partnerships emerge not from immediate attraction or romantic intent, but from years of friendship, trust, shared experiences, and emotional support through difficult phases of life. In a recent interview with Times Now, Anupam Kher reflected on his decades-long relationship with Kirron Kher and revealed that romance was never part of the original plan. Recalling their first meeting during their student days in Chandigarh, he said, “Kirron was one year senior to me in the Department of Indian Theatre in Chandigarh. She was a star. She played badminton (doubles) for India with her sister, and did English plays. I never even thought something would ever happen with her. But she had the largest heart.”DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to.Even after moving to Mumbai, the two remained close friends while navigating different life circumstances. Kirron was married to businessman Gautam Berry, while Anupam was working hard to establish himself as an actor. Looking back on those years, he shared a light-hearted memory: “When I came to Bombay, she was married to Gautam. Satish Kaushik and I used to go to her house, and we would tell her that we would only visit you if you would give us the return taxi fare. So we used to take the taxi fare from her and then take a bus so that we could survive the week.”According to Anupam, their friendship remained unchanged for a long time until both faced personal challenges. He explained, “So Kirron was a friend for a long time, till a possibility happened where I was going through a breakup and she was going through a tough time with her husband. And that’s how, at a certain stage, life changed.” He added that the idea of marrying Kirron would have seemed unimaginable to him during those early years. “But before that, all my letters, even from my girlfriend, used to come to her house. That’s why I say ‘kuch bhi ho sakta hai (anything can happen)’. I had no idea that one day we would fall in love and get married. And yeah, it’s been 41 years now.”But what advantages can a strong friendship foundation offer when a relationship eventually becomes romantic?Counselling psychologist Athul Raj tells indianexpress.com, “What friendship gives you is the opportunity to know someone without the pressure of romance shaping every interaction. Over time, you see how they handle disappointment, success, family dynamics, stress, and the ordinary realities of everyday life. You are not relating to an idea of the person; you are relating to the person themselves.”“As a psychologist, I find that relationships that begin as friendships often carry a greater sense of emotional ease,” shares Raj, adding that there is usually less idealisation and more acceptance. People have already built trust, learnt each other’s patterns, and developed a sense of reliability with one another. The attraction is not sustained only by chemistry but also by respect, companionship, and a shared history. When romance grows from that space, it often feels less like a sudden change and more like a bond naturally deepening over time.How difficult life events or personal transitions sometimes change the way people view existing relationshipsMajor life events often change what we notice about the people around us. During periods of loss, uncertainty, illness, failure, or personal transition, people tend to become less focused on appearances and more aware of who genuinely helps them feel supported and understood.Story continues below this adRaj shares, “In therapy, I have often seen that difficult phases bring clarity. A person may realise that the friend they instinctively call when something goes wrong, or the person whose presence feels most reassuring during a crisis, occupies a much deeper place in their emotional world than they had previously recognised. The relationship itself may not have changed overnight. What changes is the person’s understanding of its importance.”Sometimes it takes a challenging chapter in life for people to recognise that a connection they once viewed as friendship has quietly become one of the most meaningful relationships they have.DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to.