Zarina Wahab was born in 1959 and Aditya Pancholi in 1965. Zarina is 6 years older than Aditya.
Aditya Pancholi reacted strongly to the Dawood Ibrahim-Rakhi claim
In the 2000s, some Hindi newspapers and media reports claimed that Aditya Pancholi’s alleged strong-arm tactics in Mumbai continued because his wife, actress Zarina Wahab, tied a Rakhi to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. Aditya Pancholi strongly objected to the claim.
In an old episode of Aap Ki Adalat, he said, “My wife has been working in the film industry since the age of 17. Not a single finger has been pointed at her to date. She is a Muslim woman. I say, she is pure, she is a goddess.”
He further said, “It was written about her that he bullies because Aditya Pancholi’s wife, Zarina Wahab, ties a Rakhi to Dawood Ibrahim. Oh, you fools, think before you write, does a Muslim tie a Rakhi to a Muslim?”
Aditya and Zarina met in 1986
The relationship between Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab has often been discussed as one of Bollywood’s unusual love stories. The two reportedly met in 1986 on the sets of Nari Hira’s video film Kalank Ka Tika. Zarina later recalled that Aditya was around five years younger than her and that she found him very handsome when they first met.
As they worked together, the two became close and eventually fell in love. Their relationship moved quickly, and they got married in 1986, reportedly just 15–20 days after their first meeting. Their marriage also attracted attention because Zarina was Muslim while Aditya was Hindu.
After marriage, Aditya Pancholi’s name was linked with several actresses, among which his relationships with Pooja Bedi in 1993 and Kangana Ranaut during 2004 were highly controversial.
Zarina’s mother was initially worried about their relationship
Zarina Wahab once revealed in an interview that her mother was initially concerned about her relationship with Aditya Pancholi. She was worried because Aditya was younger than Zarina and belonged to a different religion.
Zarina recalled telling her mother, “Mother, Hindus and Muslims are all the same. You always say that not even a leaf moves without Allah’s will. So, this important decision in my life has also been taken by Allah. I did not make this decision; He did.” After hearing her daughter’s words, the family accepted their relationship and marriage.
They got married through Nikah
In an interview with Lehren, Zarina revealed that their wedding was conducted according to the Nikah ceremony. When asked whether Aditya had converted to Islam, she clarified, “He did not change his religion, but according to Muslim customs, he had to change his name, so he did that.”
Aditya Pancholi’s real name is Nirmal Pancholi.
Zarina Wahab had revealed that their daughter’s name, Sana, was inspired by a character from a Pakistani show. Meanwhile, their son was named Sooraj because that was the name of Aditya’s character in one of his films. There was no discussion in the family about whether to give the children Muslim or Hindu names. Zarina had stated that Sana and Sooraj were given the freedom to choose their own religious identity.
Zarina Wahab and Aditya Pancholi have two children, son Sooraj Pancholi and daughter Sana.
Talking about their careers, Zarina Wahab made a name for herself in films in the 1970s. The 1976 film ‘Chitchor’ and the 1977 film ‘Gharaonda’ are among her notable works. She also received a Filmfare Best Actress nomination for ‘Gharaonda’. Along with Hindi, she also worked in Malayalam and other language films. Later, she also appeared in character roles in television and films.
At the same time, Aditya Pancholi started his acting career in the 1980s. He gained recognition with films like ‘Dayavan’, ‘Kab Tak Chup Rahungi’, and ‘Qatil’. Later, he also worked in films like ‘Yes Boss’, ‘Bodyguard’, ‘Race 2’, ‘Jai Ho’, and ‘Bajirao Mastani’. Throughout his career, his roles as a hero, as well as a villain and character actor, have been significant.
