NO ROOM FOR ‘ REHAM’
IMRAN KHAN’S FORMER WIFE, REHAM KHAN’S SOON TO BE PUBLISHED EXPLOSIVE MEMOIR PROVES THAT NOT ALL WOMEN ARE WILLING TO KEEP SHUT WHEN A MARRIAGE TURNS SOUR
Imran Khan’s ex- wife is clearly in no mood to show
reham ( mercy). In a clever marketing strategy, salacious passages targeting Pakistan’s elite have been conveniently ‘ leaked’ out ahead of the book’s launch. In a move, signifying that she is ready to battle, Reham has viciously targeted Imran’s first wife Jemima Goldsmith, her first husband Ijaz Rehman, retired allrounder Wasim Akram, British businessman Syed Zulfiqar Bukhari and Anila Khawaja, media coordinator of Imran’s Pakistan Tehreek- i- Insaf- a political party. As an attention- grabbing ploy, the book goes by the lady’s name. Talk about supreme confidence!
Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt opines that writing autobiographies is really about how truthful you can be. “There is always the dilemma about how much to put in and how much to leave out. I believe that is a personal choice. However, there is one important caveat. You own the incidences of your life as much as the other person and you have a right to write about it but you have no right to talk about people and incidences that are not a part of your life because then that becomes salacious rumour mongering. I don’t know how much of the book is her life and how much others. But if it did not have an impact on her life, then it is immoral. I am sure illegal as well.”
For those unfamiliar with the Pakistani cricketer turned politico’s life, Reham was Imran’s second ( ex) wife, whom he unceremoniously dumped after a short 10- month marriage. Clearly, this is a woman scorned and deeply insulted. And she is doing her best to humiliate her ex- husband and cause him acute political embarrassment. And when you have the power of the pen in your hand, the temptation to write a personal account is irresistible. Who should know that better than Reham who has decided to captalise on her journalistic skills to narrate a saga that will certainly created ripples for its revelations, which are open to speculation.
Delhi- based literary agent Kanishka Gupta says, “It’s hard to say since this is not a reported book but a supposed recounting of experiences. In such cases, it inevitably comes down to your word against mine. There is absolutely no way of finding out. In my experience, it is always tricky to write anything about living public figures, let alone writing only damaging things. One way to do that is to mask names and use fictional elements.”
So who is Reham Khan anyway? The 45- year- old journalist and film producer is of British Pakistani descent and was a twice divorced mother of three, who met a married Imran in 2015. The marriage was rocky and ended as quickly as it began. There is no greater rage than one that emanates from an angry and bitter woman. “I don’t think it’s about revenge so much. She has always been thirsty for fame. Now with this book she will also acquire notoriety,” says Bengaluru- based social influencer, Ila Naidu.
The libelous tell- all book reveals that Imran ( in keeping with his colourful personality) cheated on her by getting involved with his current wife, Bushra Wattoo, a spiritual leader. If this doesn’t sound like a scene from the Bold
and Beautiful, there is more. Reham has not spared the dignified Jemima ( who the cricketer was married to for nine years). An angry Jemima tweeted on Thurday, “On Reham Khan’s book I’ve been assured that it’s too libellous to be published in the UK but if it is published here, I will be suing for defamation and breach of privacy on behalf of my ( then) 16 year old son and in relation to the moronic, rehashed Zionist conspiracy theories. Sigh.”
So intent is her desire to destroy the man she was once married to, that Reham has not spared his close friends either. Imran’s close buddy and former Pakistani captain, Wasim Akram has also sent her a legal notice over malicious claims about his late wife, Huma. Most publishers though are accustomed to such notices. “Notices are a form of intimidation and several affected parties rarely follow up on them. Please remember that negative publicity is the best form of publicity and has turned many books into bestsellers. Reham’s book, however, has become a political issue and I am fairly certain that there will be a trial if the book is released,” adds
I don’t think it’s about revenge so much. She has always been thirsty for fame. Now with this book she will also acquire notoriety
— ILA NAIDU, social influencer
In such cases, it inevitably comes down to your word against mine. There is no way of finding out KANISHKA GUPTA, Literary Agent
Kanishka.
But does Reham care? Going by her tweets, she is beyond redemption. She has defiantly tweeted, “You forget when you threaten me that I learnt from the murders of Zahra Shahid and Qandeel Baloch. Rest assured my story will reach everyone whether I am alive or not.”
And there are definitley some supporters of the book too. Aniket Kapoor, CEO, Author’s Ink Publications, feels it would be interesting to see if after receiving so much public attention the book attracts public sympathy too. “Reham Khan’s unpublished book has triggered a controversy around Imran Khan’s life. The book has already gained a lot of publicity and Reham’s words could well have strong repercussions. Imran Khan’s political career is at stake. But Reham’s woes and suffering also deserve expression. A threat to a woman’s personal dignity has inspired the pages of this book. It is cathartic and at the same time a representation of women giving space to themselves. Shyness is no more an alternative to the justice being sought by Reham,” he opines.