Learning to Drive stars Patricia Clarkson and Ben Kingsley as two New Yorkers who strike up an unlikely friendship as both of their personal lives are in the midst of dramatic changes. While Clarkson’s Wendy could be heading for a divorce, Kingsley’s Darwan is about to throw himself into an arranged marriage.

Cast of ‘Learning To Drive’ On Relationships

At the Learning to Drive premiere in New York City, uInterview asked Clarkson and Kingsley, as well as fellow stars Jake Weber and Saraita Choudhury what they believed was the secret to a great relationship. Director Isabel Couixet and actress Sakina Jaffrey weighed in as well.

“What’s the secret to a great relationship?”

Patricia Clarkson: “As someone who’s never been married, I think the biggest problem is having to learn that you have to be accepting of other people’s faults and shortcomings because we all have them; it’s always difficult. You have to celebrate the positive more often than you choose to.”

Ben Kingsley: “Fate has a very strange way of bringing to you the very people that you need to learn from – even if you think, ‘Oh my goodness, why did fate send me that?’ But you have something to learn. Sometimes it’s a very hard test; sometimes it’s a delightful test.”

Jake Weber: “You’ve gotta make sure you spend time, and you’ve gotta find quality time to be together with just the two of you. “But god, if I knew the secret to that I’d be a rich man.”

Sakina Jaffrey: “I’m about to celebrate by 25th wedding anniversary, so it’s a lot of hard work and total commitment and always talking and forgiving. Thrash it out, hash it out, thrash it out. Don’t go to sleep without working it out.”

Isabel Coixet: “I guess being very patient – and lots of sex always.”

Sarita Choudhury: “You have to want well for the person. My relationships that didn’t work are the one where I wanted well for myself.”

Learning to Drive hits theaters Aug. 21.

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