Sana Zehra gets up close and personal with three loving celebrity couples in their homes for an intimate look at their domestic bliss. A GT exclusive!
Love is in the air! Sarwat and Fahad
Fahad, A surgeon/actor, and Sarwat, an actress, are the ideal couple according to many. He fell madly in love with Pakistan’s sweetheart, Sarwat, when they first met almost 10 years ago. oddly enough Sarwat was looking for a girl for him. little did she know she would end up marrying him herself. With a little one on the way, this couple is super affectionate and totally gushes over one another. #CoupleGoals!
Describe your relationship in three words:
Sarwat: Compassionate, adventurous, mutually supportive.
Fahad: Passion, love and mutual support.
What do you admire the most about your partner?
Sarwat: Apart from many others, the trait that I have come to admire the most is the passion he brings into everything he does and his sense of responsibility. He looks for any and every opportunity to make a positive impact on the people in his life, especially his patients. He always feels intrigued by the challenge of managing a multitude of physical and psychological problems. The manner in which he shares his excitement with me regarding his surgeries is very telling of his personality. When it comes to saving someone’s life he would give up anything and give his 100% no matter his own circumstance. He is always focused on getting the best result possible.
How would you define the word love?
Sarwat: When you are willing to compromise …
Fahad: Love, for me encompasses a wide array of emotions. You can love things that do not love you back—the sky or a mountain or a painting or the game of chess. But the love of other people is directional. There is a lover and a beloved—your love is directed towards someone. And real love is not only about the feelings of the lover; it is not about egoism. It is when one person believes in another person and shows it.
Do you believe it’s possible to maintain platonic friendships with members of the opposite sex?
Sarwat: Yes, if you are content with your love life and partner, you can maintain any kind of friendship with the opposite sex.
Fahad: Yes, if you are happy with your partner you can maintain a platonic friendship. It is only when people are unhappy that they start looking for a third person to rescue them.
Have you ever had your heart broken?
Sarwat: After months of chest pain and a visit to the cardiologist finally the verdict was that there was nothing wrong with my heart, but only that it had been broken. At the time, I had thought life had ended for me but today when I look back, I can’t help, but be grateful for the wisdom, strength and mindfulness it has given me.
Fahad: Yes, I did and it made me into who I am today, a much wiser and stronger individual.
What’s the first thing you would do if you won $50,000?
Sarwat: I would make a shelter for stray animals who are abused by people on the streets. It’s often tough to guage which one is the real animal.
Fahad: If I didn’t have to do much to get it then I would keep half and give the other half to my favourite charity.
Why is Valentine’s Day important to you? Do you believe in grand gestures or smaller meaningful ones?
Sarwat: It is a day full of chocolates, roses, Cupid’s arrows and gifts that make me feel loved and pampered. For me, it’s an excuse to celebrate my love with my partner, other family members and friends, which I don’t usually get to do often due to my busy schedule.
What are you most passionate about in life?
Sarwat: I’m passionate about a lot of things, my family, my work, my art and the kids that I serve at Special Olympics. Unless you’re not passionate about each task that you take up in life you, will never be able to reach its zenith.
Who is your favourite fictional character ever? Â
Fahad: Hamlet for the charm of his intelligence, the quickness of his wit, the brilliance of his mimicry, the fastidiousness of his temperament, the soundness of his judgement, the excellence of his literary criticism and for his loathing of the world’s opinion.
You’re going to a desert island. What three things/people do you take?
Sarwat: I would take an Olympus underwater camera, an inflatable raft and a satellite phone.
Would you rather be rich or famous?
Fahad: I would rather be great.
Hira and Mani, both actors, are our star couple! This duo has been married for 9 years and they are still as much in love as they were when they first met
Love, relationship and more with Hira and Mani
How did you guys meet?
Mani: Over the phone, now I am a dead soul.
Hira: Phone.
What is love?
Hira: Love is magic.
Mani: Love is hmmm yes and Ok.
Are you guys still in love?
Mani: Yes, after a lot of fights we still want to see each other, so yes we are in love.
Hira: Yes, very much so.
What is the secret to a long lasting relationship?
Mani: Yes, hmm and ok.
Hira: (Laughs out loud)
What is the first thing Mani said to you?
Hira: You are actually a good looking girl.
What was your first impression of Mani?
Hira: I noticed his shoes and they were really clean. I really like that in men. Their shoes and teeth must be clean and in Mani’s case they both were.
Mani what was your first impression of her?
Mani: Nobody can dominate me as much as her. When I met Hira I was in awe of how strong she is. She has a great voice, she always looks amazing and is incredilby smart. At that moment, I knew that this is the woman I want in my life.
What is one good thing about Hira?
Mani: She loves giving surprises! She remembers all the birthdays and anniversaries. I tend to forget because that means another expenditure (laughs) but yes, she loves doing all that.
For my last birthday, Hira and our son threw me a huge surprise party. That was the best birthday gift ever.
Hira what is your favourite memory of him?
I was pregnant and extremely nauseous and I made the worst food ever and Mani kept on saying this is the best food I had ever had. He was flying out to Dubai at that time and he even took some with him.
What is the best thing about Hira?
She loves kids. No matter whose child it is, Hira shows the same amount of affection she does to our own. She likes our children to be immaculate. Look at our nanny, she is all scared and standing in a corner (laughs).
What do you like best about Mani?
Hira: Mani is extremely understanding and he knows me.
What is your favourite way of spending time with him?
Hira: When our kids go off to school, we self reflect. Sometimes we end up fighting, but I love that it’s “our†time.
Mani: I guess everyone fights but yes that is the best time.
Any nickname that really annoys you?
Hira: Hirssy Hirzo really annoys me.
Anything about Mani that really annoys you?
Hira: No matter how old a cricket match it may be, Mani will always watch it like he would if he was watching it for the first time.
Anything about Hira that really annoys you?
Mani: When she falls asleep, she just does not want to wake up!
Has Mani ever shared what his favourite toy was when he was growing up?
Hira: My father in law told me he loved collecting hockey sticks.
Mani: Yes, I had a hockey stick that I particularly loved.
Any movie you guys have watched together more than five times?
Hira/Mani: Jab We Met
Any lipstick shade she wears often?
Mani: Red. I actually don’t like it when she wears that colour.
Hira: Yes, I don’t know why but neither Mani nor my kids like it when I wear red on my lips.
What kind of work does Hira like to do?
She actually does not like to work. She really came on TV by chance.
Hira: I agree. I really became serious with my work this last year.
What food does Hira like?
Mani: She loves steak, pizza, etc. I am a desi at heart and I love Pakistani food.
Any funny fan moment?
Mani: When people mix up Faisal Qureshi with me.
Hira: People come up and say, “I am your biggest fan but I forgot your name.â€
What does GT mean to you?
Hira/Mani: Good Times!
Couple Goals with Aamir and Zhalay
If there is one actress who has done it all it as to be Zhalay Sarhadi! A VJ, model, actress and host, Zhalay has always been on top of her game no matter what she has done. She even has a movie coming up soon. Zhalay and Aamir, an entrepreneur, have been married for 10 years and they are still going strong
Between you and your wife who is the money spender and who is the money saver?
Aamir: I am definitely the big spender. She likes to spend a lot too, but I definitely like to spend more than her.
Zhalay: Yes, definitely him.
Who does Zhalay talk to most on the phone?
Aamir: It would be her friend, Ayesha Toor.
If Zhalay would choose one thing to get rid of what would it be?
Aamir: My phone for sure!
Zhalay: Absolutely, his phone.
When Zhalay says “Honey they are playing our song†what song would it be?
Aamir: It would be Veer Zara. That’s from the time when we first started going out.
How did you guys meet?
Aamir: We met through a mutual friend at a mehndi.
Describe your first date in one word.
Aamir: Very awkward.
Which living celebrity would your wife say she most admires?
Aamir: I think she admire Madhuri a lot.
Zhalay: REALLY?!
Aamir: Ok, then I don’t know.
When was the last time you gave her flowers?
Aamir: That’s easy! Last week.
Do you remember her childhood pet?
She had a cat named Kaalo who died. She really cried a lot; she still cries to this day for him.
What is the most she ever paid for shoes?
Aamir: She doesn’t spend a lot on shoes but the most she ever paid was Rs. 20,000
Zhalay: No!
Her favourite colour?
Red
Any strange gift she ever bought for you?
Aamir: I wouldn’t say strange, as she kind of knows what I really want.
Zhalay: Yeah, he tells me what he needs.
Most memorable day?
Aamir: It would be the day we moved out on our own, had our own place and started a family.
Zhalay: Absolutely.
Best Vacation you guys ever took?
Aamir: It would be last year when we went to the United States, I think it would be the best one we have had so far.
What is love?
Zhalay: Love is compassion, companionship, honesty, knowing each other. It grows with time.
What is the silliest thing Aamir has ever done for you?
Zhalay: He threw me a surprise birthday party and told me that he is throwing me a surprise birthday party. So Yeah!
How do you express your love?
Zhalay: I love giving gifts. I like making cards and I like cooking his favourite food.
Who gets to control the TV remote?
Zhalay: Both of us actually. It’s a good thing both of us like to watch the same shows, except Walking Dead. I hate that show. That’s the only time when I leave the room when the tv remote is in his hands.
Who gets their way with things?
Zhalay: Both of us are really strong personalities. I don’t think either of us have any hold on each other. We are individuals and we let each other be.
If you were to dedicate a song to Aamir what would it be?
Zhalay: You fill up my senses…
Where did you guys first go for dinner after you got married?
Zhalay: There were so many shaadi dinners really. But we went to Thailand for our honeymoon right after and that was really nice.
What would Aamir say his favourite food is?
Zhalay: Burgers, steak…he is a foodie in his heart so its all hunk food. Glad he is into fitness.
Aamir: Pizza
Last argument you guys had?
Zhalay: What should I wear to this shoot.
Aamir: (Chuckles)
Strangest gift Aamir has ever gotten for you?
Zhalay: He wanted to get an Apple watch that he didn’t want to buy for himself as he thought it was lame, so he ended up getting it for me. And I still don’t know why he got it for me because I have no interest in it.
What does GT mean to you?
GT is a place where you get to meet everyone, and get to see what everyone is upto.
Hair & Makeup by Wajid Khan
Photography by Arsalan Bilgrami of a.bilgrami studio
Interview by Sana Zehra
Comments are closed.