They married almost six years ago, when Farhan Akhtar was still working with Adi Pocha’s ad agency and Audhuna was toying with the idea of setting up ‘Juice’, her very famous hair styling saloon in South Mumbai.

A three-year old baby, Sakhya, later, both say that they have come a long way since then. “We enjoy our home and our life together. We like giving space to each other, and that’s what makes it work,” says Farhan. Busy with their respective careers, as a filmmaker and hair stylist respectively, both consider the time they spend with each other, and their daughter, sacrosanct. But friends are always welcome, very obvious from the way they walk in and out of Farhan and Audhuna’s lavish home in Bandra.

Farhan Akhtar talks about being known as a sensitive director, a metrosexual man and about his wife, Audhuna.

The Feeling of Togetherness: “We spend as much time as possible together. If we are at home, we cook a nice dinner, light the candles and spend the evening listening to some good music and playing with our daughter. Or we go out for drives, or maybe watch a good movie. Sometimes we get friends or family over, and spend time. We go on holidays together, though it has been a very long time since we have had a vacation.”

Away From Each Other: “We are generally away from each other on work. These days I am scripting another film, so I am busy with that, while Audhuna is quite taken up with Juice. During the making of ‘Dil Chahata Hai’ and Lakshya, we didn’t see each other too much, but now it’s got a little better. Sometimes we spend time separately, with our respective friends. We don’t socialise too much, and when we do go out for parties, we are generally together.”

The Most Romantic Thing They Do: “Spend time talking! Or have a good meal. We are both fond of good food. I bounce my ideas off her a lot of time, and that helps. Generally, spending a quite evening, away from the noise of the outside world, reading, just chilling out. What could be better than that?”

On being called a metrosexual man: “I really don’t know how to react to the term metrosexual man. It sounds too coined, too stereotypical, and too much of an attempt to categorise things. To say that a metrosexual man is in touch with his emotions or his feminine side is to presume that men never had been in touch with their emotions. Or men never had responded to music and art and fashion and beauty.

I really can’t say if I consider myself a metrosexual man. Everyone has a perception of themselves, which may not necessarily be right. I may like to be known as a sensitive man, someone who loves nature, art, music, design. But that could be my perception, which may not be right or true.

But if people believe that I am a sensitive person, then I guess my upbringing has got a lot to do with the way I have turned out to be. I have learnt not to hold preconceived notions about anything. The atmosphere in which I grew up gave me enough space and freedom to express myself.? I have grown up surrounded by creative people, by writers and poets. I have grown up listening to poetry being recited by my father, Javed Akhtar and by other people, who were his friends. In such an atmosphere, it is easy to keep away from all kinds of preconceived notions of behaviour. And that holds true for not only men, but even women.

I have learnt how to respond to fine things in life. For instance, good food. I am sucker for good food. I respect people who cook well because I believe that cooking is a great art form. I have inherited my love for literature and poetry from dad, and for cinema from both mom and dad.

So, yes I respond to art and books and movies and food. But I am not sure if that means I am in touch with my feminine side!”

On Style: “At the end of the day, I still predominantly wear greys, blacks and blues. I am not a very fashion conscious person. To me, hygiene is important and good grooming is all about being shaved and having my hair combed and pushed back.”

On himself: “I am a very communicative person where my work is concerned. At work, I am brutally honest. As a director the last thing I want to do is be closed. But I do admit that it’s different in personal life. Personal relationships are not as linear as professional relationships.

When things upset me, I sometimes wonder if it’s better not to talk about what’s upsetting me and to deal with things myself. I wonder if it’s better to wait and see if the issues that upset or trouble me sort themselves out, especially if another person in involved. I find it a little difficult to communicate with my wife or my family when I am upset.

If I were to define myself, I would say I am easy going and comfortable with other people perceptions and doings. I don’t mind pushing my boundaries. I have grown up around people who have pushed their boundaries constantly. Let me give you an instance. I know a lot of people who baulk at the idea of socialising with gay men or who are not comfortable with them. It’s their perception and they have the liberty to think that way. But I have never had such hang-ups.

I have found that from the time my daughter, Sakhya, was born there have been several emotional changes in me. I have become a lot more sensitive to things. Before she was born, I only thought about the then and now. Suddenly, after her birth, I have to look a long way forward. This is one relationship you have to, and want to sustain.

I feel more responsible. It kills me to even think that I may see my daughter or even my son, if I had one, smoking a cigarette 20 years hence. So I want to be a better person, for the child’s sake. I think the sensitivity starts from that point, but then it goes on to become a part of you and starts applying to different aspects and relationships in your ?life.”

On his role model: “If there is one person I consider my role model its Sachin Tendulkar. He believes in perfection, which is very important to me. Watching him bat is like watching a painter at work. He has raised batting to the level of an art form.