Naseeruddin Shah's First Wife, Manara Was 15 Years Elder To Him, Had Decade Long Battle For Alimony
Before marrying Ratna Pathak, Naseeruddin Shah was married to Manara Sikri, who was 15 years older to her.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleNaseeruddin Shah is one of the pioneers of Indian cinema, who is still hailed as one of the finest actors of Indian cinema. Recipient of three National Film Awards, Naseer has given some of the finest performances in his decades long career. On the other hand, his wife, Ratna Pathak is an equally revered name in the Indian cinema.
Naseeruddin Shah and his wife, Ratna Pathak make for one of the most adored couples in Bollywood. The couple has two sons, Imaad and Vivaan. But do you know before marrying Ratna in 1982, Naseer was married to Manara Sikri when he was very young. Though the marriage ended in a divorce in a few months, but the legal battle for alimony lasted for 12 years.
Naseeruddin Shah married Manara Sikri when she was 34 and he was 19
Many people are not aware but Naseeruddin Shah got married to Parveen Murad a.k.a Manara Sikri when he was 19. On the other hand, Manara was 15 years older to him and was 34. She is reportedly an actress and was associated with theatre in her younger days. The couple married in a traditional ceremony in 1969 and within a year, they welcomed a daughter, Heeba, who is also a well-known theatre artist.
Their marriage faced a lot of challenges as his family was concerned about Manara’s prior marriage and children and her huge age gap. On the other hand, Parveen's family doubted the union and in advance, they demanded a huge mahr (alimony), in case they ever got divorced. Later, the duo grew apart because of different priorities, which led to cracks in their relationship.
After their divorce, Naseer was supposed to pay a substantial amount as alimony to Parveen, which was demanded by her family prior to their wedding. It was difficult for Naseer, who was still making his mark in acting. He continued working hard, taking back-to-back projects and paid off the full alimony after 12 years.
Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak’s marriage
Ratna Pathak met him Naseeruddin Shah during the rehearsals of a play and was immediately attracted to him for his unique choice of John Lennon-style glasses. Soon, they fell in love but couldn’t marry because of Naseer’s impending divorce from his first wife. Naseer and Ratna dated for seven long years before getting married in 1982. The duo had the most unconventional wedding. Her parents were apprehensive about Naseer since he was still struggling to make a mark in Indian cinema.
Since Naseer was separated and not divorced, he could not marry Ratna earlier. So, they decided to fight the world and stay in a live-in relationship. After his divorce, Naseer and Ratna had a humble registered wedding in 1982 at her mother’s home. When Naseer’s first wife passed away, their only daughter, Heeba, came to stay with Ratna and Naseer. Ratna welcomed her with open arms, and to this day, they share a cordial bond.
Did you know about Naseeruddin Shah’s first marriage to Manara Sikri?
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