Celebrated actress Ismat Zaidi who had starred in dramas like “Fitoor” and “Dil-e-Muztar” sat down with Fuchsia magazine to discuss her career and also opened up about her divorce from her husband when he left her for another woman. During the interview, when the journalist asked her about her experience from this and whether she would feel comfortable sharing it, Ismat said that she was willing to do so now to gain some catharsis, and also wished to guide other girls who have also suffered from the same fate like she did.
Ismat explained that her divorce had happened because her husband had met another woman, who wanted him to marry her and leave his wife and children. She re-called that this was one of the most painful moments in her life, and was willing to do anything to keep her family together but this could not be avoided unfortunately:
“It was one of the most painful experiences I had ever gone through. I did not want to divorce my husband because I wanted to keep my family together. But unfortunately the other lady kept demanding that my children and I were kicked out and she was brought in.”
Ismat Zaidi however pointed out that during this traumatising period, it was her in-laws whose support never wavered during this time and she still lived with them. The journalist also said that this was a good thing since often women are not supported by their in-laws when divorces happen, but they should do so:
“My in-laws gave me a lot of support in this difficult time, and this helped in maintaining my public image in front of society because often people are quick to deem a woman as immoral if her in-laws go against her. There even came a moment when my husband commanded his parents to make sure I leave the house because he was bringing his new wife back home. They refused to do so, saying that they had brought me to this house and they weren’t going to leave me un-supported in this time.”
After looking back at this time of her life, Ismat Zaidi pointed out that one of the most monumental lessons she had learned and also encouraged her children to learn from her was to always remain strong and never cry in the face of struggles. She re-called that unlike the roles of wailing women she consistently had to perform on television, in reality she loved strong women who didn’t let themselves be motivated by failure:
“I had lost somethings that were extremely important to me in this time. I loved my family and wanted it to remain stable and safe. I also loved my children and wanted to ensure that they weren’t traumatised by this divorce. But now I have learned that by crying you can never accomplish anything in your life. If a man doesn’t love you anymore, it’s not the end of the world!”
You can watch the full interview below and tell us what you think in the comments
