Swara, Fahad to merge wedding customs | The Express Tribune

Indian actor Swara Bhasker and politician Fahad Ahmad, who are Hindu and Muslim respectively, have been sharing glimpses of their wedding celebrations online. The duo, after announcing their marriage last month, have revealed that they will be hosting both Hindu and Muslim wedding festivities, such as haldi, mehendi, and sangeet to “build a common tradition of celebrations.”

As a proud Hindu and Muslim couple, they stated that these festivities were the only way to express their religion in an interfaith union. The two also had a court marriage on January 6 under the Special Marriage Act in India.

Nobody wants to change anybody

Bhaskar and Ahmad—tied the knot exactly three years after they first met. Speaking about their wedding, the couple told Times of India that they don’t intend on changing their religious beliefs: “We are both very conscious and proud of our identities and nobody wants to change anybody.”

They further explained, “We planned things that are common to both our traditions. Haldi is something that happens in both cultures. It’s called ubtan by Muslims. Mehendi always happens on both sides. Sangeet happens on both sides. In India, as an interfaith couple that does not convert, we only get married in court under the Special Marriage Act. That we have done. Now we are trying to build a common tradition of celebrations.”

Love at first sight

Bhasker and Ahmed also recalled the first time they saw each other. While her now-husband saw Bhasker first in a film, the Raanjhanaa actor said her first memory of Ahmad is from a protest. “I saw her for the first time in Raanjhanaa, and I really liked the way she acted,” narrated Ahmad. “I did not know who she was, and I Googled to find her socials, but never tried to contact her. We officially met on December 19, 2019, for the first time. There was an anti-CAA protest being organised at August Kranti Maidan, and someone told me, ‘She is a revolutionary, call her, and so I did’.”

A lover’s destiny

Bhasker further explained how she got lost on the same day when she arrived for the protest. After the starlet somehow finally reached the stage, she had no clue what Ahmad looked like in real life, so she started asking people, “Who is Fahad?”. “I was looking very hassled while fixing a mic when she finally saw me,” added the social activist.

The two later built a strong bond over their mutual interest in politics. The couple also revealed that they waited more than a year to get married, so they both could become financially stable.

Have something to add to the story? Share it in the comments below.