Sonakshi and Iqbal are not isolated cases
While they may be the newest and most-watched (thanks to social media) interfaith couple, they are certainly not an isolated case, as over the decades, Bollywood has seen some beautiful interfaith reunions that transcend the conventional boundaries of religion, family dynamics and bitter rivalries that are usually seen in the world of common people (and on the silver screen!) Interestingly, Zaheer’s father Iqbal Ratansi had earlier stated that the two are actually having a civil ceremony and that Sonakshi will definitely not be converting to Islam. With this noble thought, let’s take a look at some of Bollywood’s interfaith reunions that have weathered many storms, but religion was not one of them…
Shahrukh Khan-Gauri Khan
When it comes to inter-religious couples, this union is a benchmark of selfless love that has lasted for more than three decades! Gauri and Shah Rukh, who hail from Delhi, met through common friends and the King of Romance fell in love with her at first sight! After courting Shah Rukh a bit, Gauri finally gave in and the two got married in 1991, much before Shah Rukh became the superstar he is today. The couple is blessed with three children, named Aryan, Suhana and AbRam, who was born via surrogacy in 2013.
Kareena Kapoor-Saif Ali Khan
our punjabi kudi Kareena Kapoor She met Saif Ali Khan on the sets and after a brief friendship, began dating him in 2007. Saif, half Muslim (his mother Sharmila Tagore is a Bengali Hindu), was previously married to Amrita Singh and has two children, son Ibrahim and daughter Sara. Talking about Saif and Kareena, the two dated for several years before tying the knot in 2012. They now have two sons, Taimur and Jeh.
Riteish Deshmukh-Genelia D’Souza
Undoubtedly one of the cutest couples of tinsel town, Riteish Deshmukh-Genelia D’Souza coincidentally started dating each other soon after working together in their first film in 2003, when Genelia was just 16 years old! As they both pursued their careers, their relationship stood the test of time and in 2012, the two got married following traditional Maharashtrian Hindu rituals, followed by a church wedding. The couple has two sons, named Riaan and Rahyl.
Swara Bhaskar-Fahad Ahmed
A classic example of opposites attract, Swara and Fahad met each other at a protest rally in Delhi, and over time they fell in love with each other. The two got married last year, and soon their daughter Rabia was born. On the couple’s first anniversary, Swara said, “Fahad and I rushed into marriage, but we had been friends for 3 years before that. It was a love that neither of us saw blossoming, probably because we had so many differences. Hindu-Muslim was just the most obvious. I am older than Fahad and we come from different worlds: a big city girl from an ethnically mixed English-speaking family and a small town boy from a traditional Western UP family who speaks Urdu and Hindustani. I am an actress in Hindi films, he is a research scholar, activist and politician. But our liberal arts education and values gave us a shared language of political beliefs and a similar vision for our society and country. After months of intense communication and overnight talks, I asked Fahad what was next. He said that although we were worlds apart, we were very compatible, he loved me very much and we could get married if I waited 2-3 years for him to ‘settle’. I was impressed by his confidence and candour. Stunned but also disarmed. Our families were concerned, but we stuck to our love. Our shocked parents accepted our big decision, albeit hesitantly and after gently expressing concerns. When they met us, I think they felt reassured. A year ago today we were married under the SMA. Appropriately, a relationship that began with a protest to preserve the Constitution became sacred under constitutional provisions.”
Kunal Khemu-Soha Ali Khan
Different as chalk and cheese, these two could never come together under any circumstances, as they themselves say, but love indeed always finds a way! Soha once mentioned in one of her interviews with a leading daily, “When I first met Kunal, I never even thought a friendship was possible between us, let alone being in a relationship.” Kunal too shared similar thoughts, “I thought of him as an Oxford graduate and never thought we would ever click.” However, they clicked and how! The two tied the knot in a simple ceremony in 2015, and are now parents to daughter Inaaya.
Katrina Kaif-Vicky Kaushal
One of Bollywood’s most loved couples, these two came from extremely different worlds, with Katrina even saying that Vicky was ‘nowhere on her radar’ before they met and began dating, eventually tying the knot in a traditional Hindu ceremony (with some rituals paying homage to Katrina’s English roots) in December 2021. Incidentally, Global Citizen Katrina Kaif and our Punjab ki Munde Vicky Kaushal were never even photographed together before the wedding. Talk about high level secrecy!
Too much…
Apart from these, couples like Richa Chadha-Ali Fazal, Manoj Bajpayee-Shabana, Ratna Pathak Shah-Naseeruddin Shah, Sunil Shetty-Mana, Salim Khan-Helen have also married outside their religion.
It’s not easy, but balance is key
gauri khanThe interior designer and wife of King Khan Shah Rukh Khan has often spoken openly about her interfaith reunion. While appearing on one of the previous seasons of Koffee With Karan, Gauri had said, ‘There is a balance. I respect Shah Rukh’s religion but that doesn’t mean I convert and become a Muslim. I don’t believe in it.’ Incidentally, it was Gauri’s father (whose surname is Chibber) who was initially sceptical about her marrying outside the community but over the years, he has grown extremely fond of his famous son-in-law.
Having fun along the way
Kareena Kapoor Khan, who is Saif Ali Khan’s wife, gave her opinion on how to make a marriage work. Kareena, who is also a decade younger than her husband, told India Today, “We spend a lot of time discussing inter-religious (relationships). So much energy, so much that they are 10 years apart. The most important thing is to have fun. The most important thing between Saif and me is that we like each other and enjoy each other’s company. What difference does it make what religion he follows or what his age is, it is not even a topic of discussion.”
always follow your heart
Parents-to-be Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal met on the sets of their film Fukrey in 2013 and struck up an instant friendship. After dating for several years, the two got married in 2022 and are now moving in with their family. Speaking on her inter-religious reunion, Richa told the Indian Express, “If you stick to your choice and your family supports you, nothing else matters. A person is a human first and when you fall in love, there is no filter in your pursuit. When you fall in love, that’s it.”
Is this an ‘elite’ thing?
Many people think that interfaith union is an ‘elite’ concept, and it is reserved for the most elite of the society. However, this cannot be far from the truth. When it comes to many actors, their background and family history was completely opposite to a ‘contemporary, modern’ set up, yet the thinking was far from regressive. Manoj Bajpayee, born in a small village called Belwa near Bettiah town in West Champaran, Bihar, is one such example. Born to a farmer father and a homemaker mother, Manoj married Shabana (née Neha aka the Kareeb girl) in 2006, and the couple are parents to a daughter, Ava Naila. Earlier, talking about his interfaith reunion, Manoj shared with Geist, “There was no problem, as my parents were open-minded. People who are not intelligent, even God cannot help them.”
Speaking to Barkha Dutt on Mojo Story, Manoj also said that more than religion, it is the thinking and common values that make the marriage successful. He said, “I come from a Brahmin family, a feudal family. Her family had a lot of prestige and status. But surprisingly, none of my family members ever objected to it. Never, till now.” He added, “She is a proud Muslim and I am a proud Hindu, but it doesn’t clash with each other.”
Family dynamics also play a role
In India they say, you don’t marry a guy/girl, you marry an entire family. And, our Bollywood couples have ensured that interfaith or not, they not only get along with their in-laws, but there is also a lot of respect and love between them. Katrina Kaif, who married Vicky Kaushal in 2021, has always showered love on Vicky’s parents Sham and Veena Kaushal and said that her in-laws are the sweetest, who call her ‘Kittu’! While Vicky admitted that while the two come from different worlds, he believed it was their life principles and goals that were similar, and brought them together. In an interview to The Week magazine, Vicky said, “Katrina comes from a completely different geography. But if you meet her family, you will see that her basic life principles are the same as mine. In terms of family, we have been brought up in a middle-class family, (where you value) what you have and how you earned it. When we have family functions, the difference is only linguistic. Actually, I was surprised when I got a chance to interact with her; it is not what it seems from a distance. I was a huge fan of hers and have admired her for a long time… Even if she was an astronaut, I would have fallen in love with her.”
Shatrughan Sinha shares rare videos from Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal’s wedding | Gets trolled online
Why break up a happy alliance?
Ironically, the concept of live and let live is alien in this country, where interfaith marriages should not be anyone’s concern. Swara Bhaskar, who attracted a lot of ire for marrying politician and activist Fahad Ahmed, said that she had to endure a lot of angry comments from people who neither knew her, nor her husband! Speaking to Connect Cine recently, the Tanu Weds Manu actress said, “One of the biggest myths of modern India is ‘love jihad’, where a Hindu girl marries a Muslim man. This applies to me as well. Interfaith couples can even be beaten up in some cities on Valentine’s Day. Many experts gave their opinion during my wedding as well. But we are talking about two consenting adults here. What they do in their private lives, whether they marry or not, is up to them. It is nobody’s business whether they are living together, getting married in court, or having a Nikaah, or an Arya Samaj marriage. It is between the man and the woman and their families. It is Sonakshi’s life; she has chosen her partner. Her partner has chosen her. Now it is between them and their families. I find this a very time-wasting debate.”
Talking about newlywed couple Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal, Swara said, “Wait and watch, when they have a baby, there will be a separate debate over the baby’s name. We have seen it happen with Kareena and Saif’s kids and my baby. It’s completely stupid, but it’s not going to end soon.”
