Shahnawaz Zaidi is a renowned Pakistani poet, painter, professor, and actor. He began his teaching career at Punjab University and also served as a professor in Nairobi. He has also been awarded the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz. Shahnawaz Zaidi is actor Sheheryar Zaidi’s brother. His notable dramas include Nashtar, Pamaal, Case No. 9, and Khushboo Mein Basay Khat.
Today, Shahnawaz Zaidi was a guest on Good Morning Pakistan. In the show, he opened up about his love marriage, his first wife’s death, and his decision to remarry.
Talking about his wife, Shahnawaz Zaidi said, “My first marriage lasted for 37 years. I thought we would have a golden jubilee together, but it didn’t happen. It was meant this way. I married early because I am a poetic person; I instantly fell in love with my wife. I liked the girl, and there was no reason to delay it. Marriage was a great experience. Initially, there was a charm, then came reality. We also faced opposition, such as the Shia-Sunni dispute that came between us, then the Punjabi-Urdu dispute, and the Syed-Rajput dispute. Her father had chosen someone for her; he didn’t want to change his mind. I was 24 when I got married. Although my family was modern but there were also reluctant about my decision but they surrendered”
He further added, “My wife once called me crying, saying, ‘I’m diabetic. You should think before marrying me.’ Her mother also had diabetes. We had six children in total, but the first two pregnancies were aborted. I then got a job offer from Nairobi, so we went there. See the blessings of Allah: we lived there for eight years, and all my children were born there. It was because Nairobi was a beautiful place; the weather there was so calming, the health facilities were top-notch, and my wife received great care in Nairobi. During her pregnancies, she mostly spent time in hospitals. It was a blessing in disguise that we were there.”
Talking about his second marriage, he said, “It was a difficult phase of my life. I never thought of a second marriage; it was never in my plans, I used to laugh at this idea but it happened. I remarried four years after my wife’s death. It was the time when I started feeling detached and disoriented from life. I was mentally lost, I was falling apart, although I was doing my job and multiple other things but I was depressed. I didn’t know what was happening around me. Then I thought about a second marriage, but there was no one in my life. Then I found someone who was also quite younger than me; she is Iranian. Things happened smoothly. Although, initially, I never thought it could happen, and even if the idea of marrying her came to my mind, I avoided it. But we fell in love. It’s been 10 years since we got married.” Watch here:
