Soni Razdan recently spoke about equality in her relationship with filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, saying that love, openness and the ability to critically examine oneself have helped the couple grow together.Reflecting on the importance of equality in a relationship in an interview with Nayandeep Rakshit, the Raazi actor said, “I think it (equality) is very important. I think when there is love between two people, then it’s easy to have that feeling of equality.”The actor acknowledged a difference in their perspectives when they first got together, particularly because Mahesh belonged to an older generation. “Mahesh just comes from a slightly different, slightly older generation to me. And there was initially, there was a little bit of a mindset difference,” she said.However, Soni said she entered the relationship with an open mind and that both she and Mahesh evolved as individuals. “I went into this relationship very open-minded. And I grew as a person through the relationship, and so did he,” she said.DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. The actor also highlighted what she considers one of the filmmaker’s strongest qualities. “The beauty of Mahesh is that he is so honest; he is so insightful about himself. That he is so able to see himself critically, which is a very difficult thing for most men to do,” she said.“If I tell him that ‘this was a very typical response to something’, he will look at it, and he will say yes, I agree, and he will acknowledge that,” she added.Story continues below this adThe actor also admitted that the relationship has made her more aware of her tendency to believe she is always right. “I am learning from him to see myself critically because I always think I am right. I’m the most argumentative person in the room,” Soni said. “I will not accept; I will challenge what he throws at me at times.”After years together, Soni said their relationship has evolved. “We have grown together to a very comfortable place. Both of us are really best friends,” the actor added. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Soni Razdan (@sonirazdan) Importance of self-awareness in relationshipDr Rimpa Sarkar, psychologist, PhD, Founder of Sentier Wellness, Mumbai, shared her insights on the importance of self-awareness and the ability to critically see one’s own behaviour in maintaining equality in a long-term relationship.Also Read | Vijay Deverakonda says Rashmika Mandanna tells him ‘I love you’ 10-15 times a day: ‘More mature’The expert emphasised that both partners should be able to ask, “Could I be contributing to a problem?” rather than assuming they are right. “In long-term relationships, we all bring habits and assumptions from our families, generations and previous experiences, and some of these may unintentionally create an imbalance,” Dr Rimpa explained.“The ability to receive feedback, acknowledge when we have been unfair and genuinely change our behaviour prevents one partner from always having to educate or accommodate the other. It also creates mutual accountability, because both people know that being challenged does not threaten the relationship,” she added.Story continues below this adGenerational, ideological differences in relationshipOn how couples can navigate generational or ideological differences without creating an imbalance in the relationship, Dr Rimpa highlighted that these differences do not necessarily create relationship problems. What matters is whether both partners want to be curious about each other’s beliefs and worldviews.“Sometimes one person may have grown up with very different ideas about gender roles, family or relationships, and those ideas may need to be consciously examined as the relationship evolves. The important thing is that neither person’s perspective automatically gets greater authority because of age, gender or social conditioning. Couples can disagree while still negotiating their relationship on equal terms, with both people having the freedom to question, influence and change,” she said.DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to.