Naseeruddin Shah speaks out about 'Love Jihad' allegations against his marriage
Entertainment
Naseeruddin Shah speaks out about 'Love Jihad' allegations against his marriage
(Web Desk) - In addition to displaying their enormous talent in Bollywood, seasoned actors Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah have served as a role model for a solid and long-lasting marriage.
They first connected in 1975 while rehearsing the play "Sambhog se Sanyas Tak," and their romance has endured for 41 years. Naseeruddin Shah wrote about his interfaith union with Ratna Pathak Shah in an open letter that was printed in the National Herald. He lamented having to deal with criticism and allegations despite their long-standing friendship.
I had no qualms or reservations about marrying a Hindu, and vice versa, he stated. I never imagined that, 38 years after my marriage, some put-out-to-pasture spouse of an ex-cabinet minister would threaten me by saying, "No one said anything when you married outside your religion," stopping short of accusing me of practising love jihad but obviating that my time was up.
Naseeruddin Shah also touched upon Ratna’s faith and shared a moment when his mother supported Ratna’s decision not to convert to Islam. He recalled, “As it happened, the subject of my wife Ratna converting to Islam was brought up just once by my mother and that as an inquiry, to which on receiving a reply in the negative, she concurred with a ‘Haan, mazhab kaise badla jaa sakta hai’ (Yes, how can faith be changed).”
The esteemed actor emphasized that his marriage to Ratna is proof that Hindus and Muslims can live harmoniously together. He wrote, “All I can say is that my union (accepted unquestioningly by both families) with a Hindu woman for 40 years so far is proof— if proof were needed—that it is not only possible but desirable for Hindus and Muslims to live together.”
Ratna Pathak Shah's family first resisted their relationship because of misconceptions about Naseeruddin Shah's personality, not because of his religious beliefs, according to Naseeruddin Shah's observations from a prior interview. Naseeruddin and Ratna have managed to build a happy marriage based on respect and understanding despite societal obstacles.
