3 min readHyderabadUpdated: Apr 25, 2026 08:22 AM IST
It started with one word in the middle of a long conversation. Actor-producer Jackky Bhagnani and his wife, actress Rakul Preet Singh, appeared together on the YouTube channel zingabad for what was, by all accounts, a candid and wide-ranging conversation about their relationship, their individual personalities, and why they decided to get married.
At one point during the discussion, Jackky reached for an unconventional term to describe the ease and openness he feels in the marriage. “Rakul and I are married, but we are like in a situationship, which is, of course, we are exclusive to each other because that’s why we are married. But the most important thing is that I can talk to her about anything,” he said.
The broader point Jackky Bhagnani was making was about independence and emotional maturity within the relationship. “We told each other that we are not 20-21 years old anymore. We have both seen many ups and downs. Individually, I am a happy person. I am not looking for anyone to fill a void, because if I am a depressed person, no matter who comes into my life, I will be depressed. And individually, you are happy too. Together, we are happier,” he said. Jackky also cited an example of how transparent the marriage is, saying he does not hesitate to answer calls from ex-girlfriends on speakerphone when Rakul Preet Singh is present, precisely because he has nothing to hide.
Also Read – Jackky Bhagnani says he’s in a ‘situationship’ with wife Rakul Preet Singh: ‘But we are exclusive’
Rakul echoed the sentiment. “It is not about filling a void in each other’s lives. It is not like, ‘You didn’t take me for a holiday, so I am unhappy.’ I can go on that holiday by myself. I think there are more important things in life to talk about,” she said.
In context, the word situationship was clearly being used playfully, a way of saying their marriage does not feel like a conventional obligation but rather like the easy companionship of two people who are wholly secure on their own and simply happier together. The problem was that almost none of that context survived the clip that spread across social media.
The word was extracted, shared widely, and interpreted at face value. A situationship, in the way the term is currently used in popular culture, typically describes a romantic arrangement that lacks commitment or definition, something that sits awkwardly between casual and serious. Applied to a marriage, it read badly to many.
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Rakul Preet Singh moved quickly to address it. Taking to Instagram Stories on Friday, she made clear that what had gone viral bore little resemblance to the actual conversation. “We had a great laugh today about how one line from an hour-long conversation can suddenly become the headline. Funny… until it’s not. Context matters. Nuance matters. Conversations deserve better than being reduced to clickbait. Maybe it’s time platforms take a little more responsibility for the narratives they create,” she wrote.
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Rakul Preet Singh and Jackky Bhagnani tied the knot on February 21, 2024, after dating for three years.
