Confused? Candy is talking about the forbidden fruit - a man taken by another woman in marriage. But that is what love is all about; it often blurs the line between right and wrong.

Indian films and television shows - more so in the last decade - have often mirrored real-life situations and portrayed man-woman relationships as is. Naturally, the 'other woman' finds a place in them as well.

Given that the husband-wife relationship is put on a pedestal, it is always the other woman who is blamed and accused of being a home-breaker.

Many fail to realise that love is a two-way street and both the man and the other woman are equally responsible for a relationship that fails.

Any human relationship is need based, more so a man-woman one.
Candy Brar
What then is it for the other woman in such a relationship? Does it offer any security to the person involved?

Model and actor Shruti Seth says, "Personally, I feel it is about being with a man who gives you the kind of security no one else does."

Interestingly, model Mashoom Singha puts forth a completely different perspective. "I fail to understand the concept of the other woman. My man is mine alone. Moreover, I would not eye someone else's man!" she declares.

Scriptwriter Shibani Bathija of Fanaa and Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna fame (KANK) believes that an extra-marital affair is of several kinds (one night stand, wife swapping, etc) and there are many reasons people get involved in one.

"The reasons could be monetary, loneliness and the thrill of the illicit. Sometimes, it could also be a rebound relationship," she observes.

Citing the example of KANK she explains, "Though the movie is about extra-marital relationships, it is more about complications that are born out of love. It is about finding true love when it is too late."

While real life is quite complicated, reel life knows how to make things simpler. Often, the other woman is clearly etched in black (no grey, mind you) who is blamed when a marriage fails. Can such a woman really expect anything from a relationship, which is against social norms?

Says Shibani, "Ultimately, it all depends on the basis of the relationship. Expectations depend upon the strength of the man-woman relationship." For Mashoom, "Initially, there might not be any expectations. Later however, when the insecurity grows there might be reasons to complain, which translate into expectations."

All said and done, our leading ladies may well portray the other woman in reel but they would never be the other woman in real. "I cannot share the person of my love and affection with anyone else. That is not my thinking," asserts Mashoom.

After all, even Mandira Bedi's popularity dipped when she played - Dr. Mandira 'Mona' Kapadia - the other woman in the Mihir-Tulsi romance in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Thi.