Here’s how she left everything for love and then spoke about abuse after 30 years.

When it comes to the world of Bollywood, the glitzy and glamorous world often has a deep and dark side that doesn’t often come out. Today, as Flashback Friday, we decided to take you back to the life of one of the most popular actresses of 80’s of the Kamal Haasan starrer Ek Duuje Ke Liye fame, Rati Agnihotri. At the peak of her career and success, Rati fell in love with a Mumbai based businessman and architect, Anil Virwani. Even though her family was dead against it, Rati decided to take the plunge at marriage with Anil on February 9, 1985. 

It is then that her life really changed. The Ek Duuje Ke Liye actress had been a star of those times kissed her flourishing career goodbye and decided to live her life with Anil. Reportedly, it is then that her life changed for the worst. Rati got to see another side of her husband that was abusive. As per reports, the actress faced domestic violence back then as her husband, Anil used to reportedly beat her up. Hoping things would change, the couple was expecting their first child. A little over a year into her marriage, their son, Tanuj Virwani, was born on 28 November 1986. 

However, despite the arrival of Tanuj, Rati and Anil’s marriage was reportedly strained due to his abusive nature. The Ek Duuje Ke Liye actress continued to put up with abuse with a smile outside the house for almost 30 years. Putting up a brave front outside, Rati continued to endure it. However, it was in 2015 that the actress decided to end her ordeal on the insistence of her son and she finally spoke up about it in the public eye. 

 Rati finally opened up about her abusive marriage as she feared for her life. She mentioned that when her son was in Pune, her husband fit of rage left her extremely scared for her life. She said, “I thought to myself that I am a 54-year-old woman and I will progressively grow older and weaker and then one day I will die, beaten to death.”  Later, she went on to file a case of domestic abuse against Anil Virwani on March 14, 2015. 

Many wondered at that time why she kept mum about it for 30 years. Rati answered the same in an interview with Times Of India. She said, “Well, I had certain priorities, the biggest being my son Tanuj. He was the reason I put up with all this pain for 30 years. I also believed in the sanctity of marriage... I believed in love. Anil was the man I had married despite the fact that my parents had never liked him. And like every girl I'd dreamt of a picture-perfect life with a husband who cared and provided for me. For all these years I'd hoped... prayed... that things would change, that he would change.”

Rati also revealed how her son reacted to the news of her abusive marriage to Anil. She mentioned in the interview that her son helped her come to the decision of a divorce to end her ordeal after he drove down to Lonavala after an episode of abuse with her husband in 2015. She said, “My son was shooting in Pune. He came to meet me in Lonavala and advised me to do what is right for me. This (ending the marriage) was my son’s decision for me. I am taking his advice. He knows he is the only reason I stayed in this marriage. He said, ‘No matter what, you’ll always be my mother.’”

But, by July, reports of the actress and her husband reconciliation came in wherein the actress her son Tanuj played an important role in bringing his family together. In a report of Deccan Chronicle, Rati and her husband Anil mentioned that it was for their son’s sake that they decided to make it work for a second time. Her husband confirmed the news to the tabloid and said, “Yes, things have become much better. Now, none of us wants to focus on the bitterness. It is behind us and we're back to our happy selves. I've known Rati for 33 years and that is a lot of time....you don't part ways just like that." But, the couple did part ways after 30 years but remained cordial due to their son's efforts.

Post that, the actress was often seen spending time with her son. Often Tanuj shared photos on social media with his mother and father, though separately. Photos of the three surfaced on social media too when Tanuj shared them on his Instagram handle.