Better halves: career, compromises and conjugality

They are women of substance — brainy, assertive and successful. They are also the forces behind television’s popular and noteworthy personalities Siddhartha Basu and Harsha Bhogle. But Mrs. Basu’s and Mrs. Bhogle’s credentials just do not end with their surnames. They might not be hogging the limelight but make no mistake, they are both individuals who have carved a niche for themselves.

Passing out from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Delhi, Mrs. Basu has had an influential career chart, starting her stint with ‘India Today’ as a journalist followed by spearheading Synergy Communications, their own enterprise. She has always lived life on her own terms and has proven herself through sheer hard work and intrinsic talent. She’s also the executive producer of one of the country’s highest rated shows, ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’. Mrs. Bhogle, on the other hand, has always been meritorious. She passed out from IIT and went on to become a graduate from IIM, Ahmedabad. She smoothly made a transition as a partner to Prosearch Consultancy, along with her husband. She’s also been the brain behind the popular TV show, ‘Masterstroke’.

But does the celebrity status of their better halves ever affect their identities? Do they ever feel bogged down by pressures of being ‘Mrs. So and So’?