Actor Aishwarya Lekshmi believes that having more choices in modern dating has not necessarily made finding love easier. In a conversation with India Today, the actor spoke about dating apps, changing relationship terminology and why emotional safety and compatibility matter more to her than intense romance.
Aishwarya, who recently appeared in the Netflix series #Love, said the abundance of options can make it harder to decide whether someone is the right match. Despite the changing ways people meet and form relationships, she believes the search for a meaningful connection remains much the same.
Aishwarya Lekshmi on Why Modern Dating Feels More Confusing
Reflecting on whether dating apps and the seemingly endless availability of potential partners have complicated the search for love, Aishwarya agreed that having more options can create confusion.
“Yeah, I actually think so. Because then you’re confused about which way to go about it. I feel the search is always for that one person who is your person. So, I do feel it’s a lot more confusing now than it was in the older times,” she told India Today.
The actor also joked about the growing vocabulary used to describe modern relationships, pointing to terms such as “situationship” and “nanoship”. She said keeping up with the terminology can be difficult, especially when familiar words take on new meanings in the context of dating.
“We’re very confused about love. We have different terms — situationship, nanoship. Apparently, there’s bingeing. I just heard about it yesterday. I have no clue. I thought bingeing was only for Netflix! But apparently, that’s there for relationships as well,” she said.
Despite these new labels and the wider range of ways people can connect, Aishwarya believes that finding the right person has become more complicated rather than more straightforward.
‘Love Is Comfort and Safety,’ Says Aishwarya Lekshmi
Aishwarya also reflected on how her personal understanding of love has evolved over time. For her, a healthy relationship is increasingly defined by comfort, acceptance and the freedom to be herself around another person.
“Over time, I’ve realised that love is comfort and safety, and being myself in front of another person. Right now, today, it means comfort,” she said.
When asked what she prioritises while choosing a partner, the actor placed compatibility above other considerations. She explained that feeling comfortable from the first conversation matters because it allows two people to communicate openly without worrying about being judged.
“So, I’m team compatibility all the way,” she added.
For Aishwarya, emotional safety means being able to express thoughts and feelings honestly while knowing that the other person will accept her for who she is. It is not simply about getting along; it is about creating a relationship in which both people feel free to be themselves.
Why Emotional Safety Matters More to Her Now
Discussing what matters more to her in a partner today than it might have five years ago, Aishwarya returned to the idea of having a safe space within a relationship.
“I would go back to someone being a safe space for me. I should be able to become a child in front of them. We should be able to tell each other anything and everything freely, and there should be no judgement. We are free, and free together. I think that matters the most,” she said.
Her comments underline the importance she places on openness and emotional trust. Rather than seeing vulnerability as something to hide, she wants a relationship in which both people can speak freely and feel accepted.
The actor also spoke about the role of friendship in long-term partnerships. Referring to the familiar line “Pyaar Dosti Hain”, she said she has increasingly noticed the importance of friendship among couples she knows.
“We grew up listening to Pyaar Dosti Hain. But how important that is has come to my attention of late. I keep seeing that in a lot of my friends who are married and have successful marriages. They are friends first before they are spouses,” Aishwarya said.
For her, friendship is not separate from romantic love. It can provide the trust, familiarity and mutual understanding that help a relationship grow over time.
From Mayaanadhi’s Intense Romance to a Preference for Happy Endings
Aishwarya has often been associated with emotionally intense love stories on screen. One film that remains particularly important to her is Mayaanadhi, the second film of her career.
Speaking about its influence, she said the film shaped her understanding of acting and the kinds of stories she wanted to pursue.
“I feel it is one of the greatest films ever made, and I love the film, not because I am in it. It also formed my idea of how an artist or an actor should be and what kind of movies we should choose,” she said.
Aishwarya added that she continues to gravitate towards love stories in which the characters’ emotions feel authentic. For her, believable emotional experiences matter more than the scale of a character or the complexity of a plot.
“I have always gravitated towards very real emotions in a love story. The characters could be great, but if their emotion is real, then I would want to take it up as an actor,” she said.
Her personal preferences, however, differ from the emotionally painful romances she has explored professionally. While she appreciates intense love stories as an actor, she said she now prefers something more cheerful in her own life.
“As a person, I like happy, easy love stories. I’m done with the intense, painful ones,” she said, adding that although tragic romances can remain memorable, she personally prefers a happy ending.
Aishwarya’s reflections offer a distinction between the stories she enjoys exploring on screen and what she values in a real-life relationship. While compelling fiction may thrive on conflict and heartbreak, she sees comfort, compatibility, friendship and emotional safety as essential to lasting love.
