Actor Aditi Rao Hydari sparks online debate over staying friends with exes

Actor Aditi Rao Hydari recently stated that she can remain platonic friends with an ex, citing her time at a co-ed boarding school. She made this comment while promoting her latest release, Lust Stories 3, in an interview with Netflix India. While her view sparked strong reactions online, with some internet users calling her delusional in the comments section, mental health professionals have weighed in on whether such friendships are actually possible.

Psychological Views

Dr Ashish Pandey, a counselling psychologist at Mano Srijan Wellness Centre in Kanpur, noted that expecting current partners to be totally comfortable with ex-friendships is often unrealistic because it ignores natural emotional boundaries. He explained that past intimacy does not simply vanish when people claim to have moved on. The brain stores shared memories, leaving behind neural pathways and emotional reflexes rather than deleting past experiences.

Expert Rules

Ambika Chawla, lead clinical psychologist at Lissun, stated that exes can remain platonic friends in select situations. This includes when longtime friends revert their romantic relationship back to friendship, or when neither partner has heavily invested emotionally. Chawla outlined four ground rules for such dynamics. These include avoiding comparisons between old and new relationships, avoiding private meetings with an ex, avoiding discussions about new partners, and avoiding talk about the old relationship itself.

Context

Discussions around boundaries with former partners often highlight the balance between personal choice and respect for current relationships. Mental health experts frequently analyze these social dynamics to help people navigate modern dating and personal connections.