Actors
Sarwat Gilani and Fahad Mirza are engaged to be married. Resuscitating the
concept of true love, Gilani told The Express Tribune how she was fated to reunite with the
man who she met a decade ago. What has often been dismissed as idealistic, the
couple’s story depicts the notion that love conquers all.
The couple, who exchanged rings on October
11 this year, celebrated their union with an intimate gathering of around 70 on
the roof-top garden of her residence. In an up-close and personal interview, a
happy and love-struck Gilani flaunted her diamond ring with a twinkle in her
eyes. While Gilani wore an Amna Aqeel outfit on her engagement day with hair
and make-up done by Natasha’s Salon, Mirza sported a white boski shalwar kameez from Moosajees.
On the question of how and where she met
Mirza, Gilani smilingly proclaimed, “We met 10 years ago, in the year 2003 to
be precise. We liked each other then but I was busy acquiring a degree in
Communication Design from the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture, and
he was studying at Dow
Medical College,
pursuing his plans of becoming a surgeon.”
Explaining how grueling student life can be,
she said, “Those days were tough as far as studying and getting the degree were
concerned… Aur amma abba ki
koshish thi ke hum graduate kerlain!” she remarked jokingly.
“Today, however, it [our story] has unfolded
to be very filmi” she
said. “Some time back, I was performing in a stage play Dhaani and Fahad came to watch it. Later, he
texted me and said that he saw the play. That’s how we got in touch with each
other for the first time after really long,” she exclaimed.
“Initially, I thought we both must be at
different stages in life. People would joke about us being together but we used
to laugh it off. And it just so happened that in the process of proving them
wrong, we proved them right by falling in love, again!”
As the resilient Gilani begins a new chapter
in her life, she doesn’t shy away from shedding light on her past, where she
was married and got divorced a couple of years thereafter. She was briefly
married to Omer Saleem, the brother of TV personality Ali Saleem. “I got
married as a rebound. When you are vulnerable, nothing seems reasonable. You
try to satisfy your heart and prove your point. That didn’t work out for me. I
thought the love was merely a four-letter word. Also, when you are heartbroken,
you lose faith in love. But life goes on and you realise, as you grow up, that
being in love doesn’t mean you can’t be practical. You can be both at the same
time.”
After her marriage didn’t work, she found
solace in acting and painting. “I focused on my work, primarily on these two
art forms. I was bouncing between these two loves of mine… I took refuge in
them,” she said. Today, as her life takes another favourable turn, she is
happier than ever and has given a special place to Mirza in her life.
When asked why Mirza is the one for her, she
smiled and said, “Well, there have been actors and other people who have been
interested but something or the other just wouldn’t click. I wanted commitment;
I am strictly a one-man woman.” She went on to say, “With Fahad, there was
familiarity, an association… and our family wanted us to consider it. Also,
there was an established comfort level between our families. I have found Fahad
to be a sincere person. With others, I wasn’t too sure but with Fahad, it
seemed like it was written in stone.” Acknowledging how supportive Mirza has
been, she said, “Whenever I tire down, he encourages me to strive and quotes
Rumi to boost my will.”
With a wedding that is planned for summer
2014 followed by a honeymoon in Istanbul,
Gilani looks thrilled about tying the knot. She hopes that the couple will have
“a very exciting journey” but that one must know that it’s not all fun and
games. “One should know when to give in and when to give up. Family must always
be the priority” is the talented actor’s mantra.
Published in The Express Tribune,
October 22nd, 2013.
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