‘You’re married and have two kids, how can you even say this to me’: When Sridevi stayed silent for six months after Boney Kapoor’s proposal; expert on emotional conflict

Sridevi’s silence spoke volumes — a reaction that reflected the emotional conflict and personal values she was navigating. Boney added that he was always honest with his then-wife, Mona Kapoor, about his feelings. “I have always believed in honesty, and I told Mona everything. Love is never perfect, and sometimes, emotions are beyond our control. But I made sure to be transparent about my feelings,” he said in the same interview.

So, how do people typically process shock or emotional conflict when someone crosses a moral or relational boundary they weren’t prepared for?

Psychologist Raashi Gurnani tells indianexpress.com, “Silence, withdrawal, and distance are natural coping mechanisms in situations that feel morally conflicting or emotionally overwhelming. In psychology, this is known as emotional dissonance — when a person’s values and emotions clash, they often freeze, not knowing how to move forward. For Sridevi, the proposal wasn’t just unexpected; it likely triggered a deep sense of discomfort.”

Boney added that he was always honest with his then-wife, Mona Kapoor, about his feelings. (Source: Express archive photo)

What psychological weight does carrying the label of a ‘homebreaker’ have on someone?

Being seen as a ‘homebreaker’ is a deeply heavy label, especially for a woman, and especially in a society that often places the moral burden of a broken home on the “other woman” more than the partner who stepped outside the marriage. 

Gurnani mentions, “Psychologically, this can create a lingering sense of guilt, shame, or confusion, even when the person’s intentions weren’t malicious. For someone like Sridevi, who was still navigating her own emotions—perhaps questioning her feelings for Boney, weighing her values, and trying to protect her public image—social judgment would’ve only intensified that inner conflict. Constant scrutiny and the fear of being misunderstood can make it difficult to fully embrace or reject one’s feelings, leading to emotional paralysis or delayed acceptance.”

Does emotional transparency make infidelity justifiable in any way?

As for Boney Kapoor’s claim of honesty and transparency with his then-wife Mona, that’s a layered subject. From a psychological perspective, Gurnani stresses that emotional transparency might help the one falling out of love feel less like they’re living a lie — it gives them a sense of moral high ground, or at least, the comfort of having been truthful. 

“But transparency doesn’t erase the pain caused or the consequences that follow. It may ease their guilt, but it doesn’t make the emotional betrayal justifiable to the people impacted. In fact, in many cases, honesty without accountability can feel even more brutal—it’s saying, “I know I’m hurting you, but I want to do it with open eyes.” That said, emotional transitions in relationships are rarely black-and-white. Boney’s honesty could have come from a genuine place, but it still left behind emotional debris that both women—Mona and Sridevi—had to carry in very different ways,” she says. 

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