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Zarina Wahab's mother raised concerns about her interfaith marriage with Aditya Pancholi: ‘Beta, he's a Hindu'

Zarina Wahab's mother raised concerns about her interfaith marriage with Aditya Pancholi: ‘Beta, he's a Hindu'

Indian Express20-05-2025

Veteran actor Zarina Wahab has often addressed the smooth and rocky patches of her marriage with former co-star Aditya Pancholi. The two got married in 1987. She's five years older than him. They have two kids — daughter Sana Pancholi and actor-son Sooraj Pancholi. In a recent interview, Wahab recalled her wedding and first pregnancy.
'Nari Hira ji (former Stardust owner) was making a film. That's when I met him (Aditya). He was a very good looking boy. But there wasn't anything more to it. Then there was a shot in which he was supposed to cry. He kept crying so much that we had to pack up. When we were sitting in the car, I held his hand and said, 'Don't cry.' As soon as I held his hand, he held mine, and then we got married in 15 days (laughs),' said Wahab.
In the interview with Nayandeep Rakshit, she recalled how she never thought she'd marry Aditya. 'He was five years younger than me. When we got married, people would say she's wooed such a handsome guy, he'd leave her in five days or five years. Now, it's been nearly 38 years,' added Wahab.
'I didn't want to Nari Hira ji's film. I was doing quite well then. But I thought if I say no, Stardust guys would feel bad. So I did it half-heartedly. And then got married within 15 days,' recalled Wahab. She clarified that there was no opposition from either side because it's an interfaith marriage.
'They didn't say anything. My family is very open-minded. My mother said, 'Beta, he's a Hindu.' I said, 'Maa, Hindu-Muslims are all the same. You say without Allah's wish, even a leaf can't be moved. Then Allah has taken such a big decision of my life. It's not me who took that decision, He did. 'Go ahead,' she said,' added Wahab.
She also recalled how Aditya was very nice to her parents and they loved him too. 'My mother-in-law was a darling! My father-in-law was also very nice. They're both not there anymore. I was very lucky to have in-laws like that,' said Wahab. She soon got pregnant with their firstborn, daughter Sana Pancholi. 'He (Aditya) was younger to me. So I felt he's just starting his career. I felt whether I should tell him or not. But when I did, he was really, really happy,' said Wahab.
Also Read — Zarina Wahab says husband Aditya Pancholi's affairs don't bother her: 'Many men have affairs and run their family, I don't want to suffer'
On the work front, Wahab, 65, was last seen in Gopichand Malineni's action film Jaat earlier this year. Aditya Pancholi, 60, last starred in Bejoy Nambiar's 2020 action thriller Taish. Their son Sooraj Pancholi will be next seen in Prince Diman's historical action saga Kesari Veer, slated to release in cinemas this Friday, May 23.

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Sooraj Pancholi reacts to mom Zarina Wahab not divorcing his father despite extramarital affairs: ‘She could have left'
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Sooraj Pancholi reacts to mom Zarina Wahab not divorcing his father despite extramarital affairs: ‘She could have left'

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Literature's Muslim Question
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When Aditya Pancholi spoke about how he fell in love with Kangana Ranaut despite being married to Zarina Wahab; claims he gave her Rs 55 lakh to buy a house
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When Aditya Pancholi spoke about how he fell in love with Kangana Ranaut despite being married to Zarina Wahab; claims he gave her Rs 55 lakh to buy a house

Aditya Pancholi, known for roles in films like 'Dayavaan' and 'Bajirao Mastani,' faced controversy due to his personal life. Despite being married to Zarina Wahab, his relationship with Kangana Ranaut became a focal point. Kangana accused Pancholi of physical abuse, recounting a painful chapter that began when she was 17. Aditya Pancholi comes from a film family that owned Pancholi Arts, once the largest studio in pre-partition Lahore. He began his acting career with the TV show Shahadat in 1985 and rose to fame with Dayavaan in 1988. Over the years, he played key roles in films like Yes Boss, Hameshaa, Baaghi, Race 2, Jai Ho, and Bajirao Mastani. However, his personal life often made more headlines than his film career. A Married Man Linked With Many Actresses The actor is married to former actress Zarina Wahab , and the couple has two children — Sooraj Pancholi and Sana Pancholi. Despite being married, Aditya has often been linked to several Bollywood actresses. Among these, his relationship with Kangana Ranaut drew the most attention. The controversy escalated when Kangana accused him of physical abuse. Living Together & Financial Support When Kangana Ranaut entered the film industry, her relationship with Aditya Pancholi quickly became a hot topic. Despite being married, Aditya reportedly fell in love with Kangana, and the two even began living together. In a 2008 interview with Mumbai Mirror, Aditya claimed he gave her Rs 55 lakh in cash to help her buy a house. Aditya Recalls How It All Began Aditya also spoke about how his relationship with Kangana Ranaut began, describing it as close as that of a husband and wife. He claimed he was building a house for the two of them on Yari Road and that they lived together for three years at a friend's home. Recalling their first meeting, Aditya said he saw her on the road one rainy day when she approached him and introduced herself. He remembered that a mutual friend had once asked him to help her when she arrived in Mumbai. According to him, Kangana kept calling him until he finally agreed to meet. At the time, he said she was a sweet small-town girl, and he eventually fell in love with her. In the same interview, the actor also opened up about a troubling phase in his relationship with Kangana Ranaut. He claimed that during the shooting of Shakalaka Boom Boom, he discovered flirtatious messages sent by her to another actor. Aditya admitted that the messages upset him deeply, especially because she had used similar words with him in the past. He confessed that this led to a violent outburst — the first time he hit her. Despite the fight, he said they eventually made up afterward. Kangana's Painful Account of Abuse Kangana, meanwhile, has openly spoken about the trauma she faced during her relationship with Aditya Pancholi. She has described it as an abusive and painful chapter in her life, which began when she was just 17. Kangana once revealed that Aditya had physically assaulted her so badly that she was left bleeding, and she often tried to escape his control. She also shared that he would stalk her constantly. Hoping for support, Kangana approached Aditya's wife, Zarina Wahab, believing she might help her out of the situation. However, she was disappointed when Zarina not only refused to help but also denied that there was any romantic relationship between Kangana and Aditya. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .

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