Sunita Marshall says 98% of men make fun of wives in front of friends

Speaking on a morning show recently, Sunita claimed that around 98 per cent of men make fun of their wives when they are with their friends, describing the behaviour as common in “desi” culture.

“About 98 percent of men make fun of their wives when sitting with friends; this is very common in our ‘desi’ culture, whereas nothing of the sort happens in the West,” she said. The actress also discussed how some husbands respond when their wives offer suggestions in front of others.

“If a wife offers a suggestion in front of others, they will immediately snap at her, saying, ‘Keep your foolish advice to yourself,’” Sunita said. She added that disagreements could instead be handled privately and respectfully.

“One could have explained to her later—and politely—that her suggestion was incorrect,” she said. Sunita also criticised what she described as a mindset that places husbands above their wives. “The mindset instilled in men here is that wives are inferior to them,” she said.

She pointed to differences in the way husbands and wives address each other, saying wives commonly use the respectful Urdu pronoun “aap” for their husbands, while husbands may use the more informal “tum” when addressing their wives., such differences can contribute to an attitude in which husbands feel entitled to ridicule their wives in front of others.

Her comments have since circulated widely on social media, prompting users to discuss respect and communication between husbands and wives and share their own experiences and views. Sunita's comments reflect her personal observations about social and marital behaviour rather than a verified statistical finding; the 98 per cent figure was not accompanied by details of a survey or study.