After having a court marriage, Bollywood actor Swara Bhasker and political activist Fahad Zirar Ahmad also had a traditional wedding complete with Haldi, Mehendi, Sangeet, and more.
However, the actor was criticized for marrying a person out of her religion. She was also slammed for wearing an outfit by a Pakistani designer at her wedding reception.
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But despite anticipating the backlash, they stood by each other and decided to face the world holding each other’s hands. In an interview with Brides Today, the ‘Veere Di Wedding’ actor opened up about the moment when they realized that they were meant to be together.
“What I love about our relationship is that we started off as friends,” Swara said. She added:
“For some reason, I always trusted him; he never did anything that felt like he was trying to leverage my ‘celebrity status’. I felt like he was interested in me for who I am.”
“In September 2022, I had a small surgery —not cosmetic!—and I had to be on bed rest for two weeks. I told him about it, and his response made me feel seen. He didn’t judge, and that allowed me to share some personal, intimate details about me and my life, with him. He used to check on me twice a day during that time, and I was very touched by his concern.”
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When asked about the secret to a successful relationship, she divulged, “I don’t want to give advice because our relationship is very new.”
“But I think what enabled us to be together was that we accepted that we come from different worlds. In India, love comes with a lot of societal pressure. Young couples in India have to battle caste, class, and religion… But if you love each other, then fight the fear.”
Talking about their mindfulness of each other’s backgrounds, Fahad Ahmad said, “We need to acknowledge that we are two different people, hailing from different backgrounds, who have different lived experiences.”
“I would say don’t change who you are fundamentally, but it is okay to step out of your comfort zone. That’s how you learn… She [Swara] has this wonderful, non-judgmental attitude towards everyone. And this allowed me to share my innermost feelings with her. She is extremely supportive, and she gave me that safe space that I was craving.”
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Swara earlier equated love with chemistry. But now, she thinks commitment is the greatest act of love.
“Earlier, I equated love with chemistry—and, of course, that’s important—but now, for me, commitment is the greatest act of love. Fahad and I are just two people trying to navigate life. Life is very long, we don’t know what’s going to happen, but, hopefully, we’ll be able to hold each other’s hand and get through it; even the tough moments.”
Talking about being committed to Fahad, she said, “I am very realistic. I don’t have any delusions about ‘grand love’.”
“I think love is something you need to work on on an everyday basis. It’s something that you invest in on an everyday basis, and it’s hard, it takes time. But I am willing to give it time, and that’s my way of showing commitment—I am willing to put in the effort.”
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Ever since they announced their marriage on social media, they have been on the receiving end of trolling, hate, and judgment. But I believe it’s the tough times that create tough people and make a relationship stronger. What do you think?