Shahnawaz Zaidi opens up about love, loss, remarriage

Renowned Pakistani poet, painter, professor and actor Shahnawaz Zaidi recently appeared as a guest on Good Morning Pakistan, where he spoke openly about his personal life, his first marriage, the loss of his wife and his decision to marry again.

Zaidi, who began his teaching career at Punjab University and later served as a professor in Nairobi, has made significant contributions to literature, education and the arts. He has also been honored with the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz. He is the brother of renowned actor Sheheryar Zaidi and has appeared in several popular dramas, including Nashtar, Pamaal, Case No. 9 and Khushboo Mein Basay Khat.

During the show, Zaidi reflected on his first marriage, describing it as a love marriage that lasted 37 years. He revealed that he had hoped to celebrate his golden jubilee with his wife but sadly, that dream could not come true.

Speaking about how their relationship began, Zaidi said he was only 24 when he got married. He described himself as a poetic person who fell in love instantly and saw no reason to delay the marriage. However, the relationship faced opposition from both families because of differences involving sect, language and family backgrounds.

According to Zaidi, his wife’s father had already chosen another man for her and was initially unwilling to reconsider his decision. Although Zaidi’s family was relatively modern, they too had reservations about his choice. Eventually, however, they accepted his decision.

Zaidi also recalled that his wife had once called him in tears and told him that she was diabetic and that he should carefully consider marrying her. Her mother also suffered from diabetes. Despite the concerns, the couple went ahead with their marriage and eventually built a family together.

The couple had six children, although Zaidi revealed that the first two pregnancies ended in abortion. Later, he received a job opportunity in Nairobi, and the couple moved there. He described their eight years in Nairobi as a blessing, explaining that the pleasant weather, excellent healthcare facilities and quality medical care his wife received made the experience particularly meaningful.

Zaidi said his wife spent considerable time in hospitals during her pregnancies, but she received excellent care. He viewed their relocation to Nairobi as a blessing in disguise because all of their children were eventually born there.

The veteran artist also spoke candidly about the difficult period following his wife’s death. He revealed that he had never planned to marry again and used to dismiss the idea of a second marriage. However, four years after his first wife passed away, he began experiencing a profound sense of detachment from life.

He admitted that although he continued working and remained involved in various activities, he felt mentally lost and was falling apart emotionally. During this challenging period, he eventually began considering the possibility of remarriage.

Zaidi said there was initially no one in his life, but he later met an Iranian woman who was considerably younger than him. Although he initially tried to avoid the idea of marriage, their relationship developed naturally and they eventually fell in love.

He revealed that they have now been married for 10 years. Looking back, Zaidi said his second marriage was something he had never expected, but life ultimately took him in a direction he had not planned.

His candid conversation offered viewers a deeply personal look into his experiences with love, marriage, loss, family and finding companionship again later in life.