WHY IS NAWAZUDDIN SIDDIQUI IN THE NEWS?
The spotlight on Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s new comedy Ghoomketu dimmed as his wife of 11 years levelled allegations of mental torture this week. The focus shifted to Siddiqui’s troubled personal life rather than his central role in this comedy in which he plays a struggling writer attempting to make it big in Bollywood.
“The comedy is very funny and all its quirky characters will strike a chord in you all. Here’s a film that you can watch with your whole family,” said Siddiqui in an interview done over Zoom for select Indian press.
While his film may be family-friendly, his personal life is emerging to be unsavoury. His wife Aaliya Siddiqui, who filed for divorce on May 7 through her lawyers, claims that the actor hasn’t been a good father or a husband to her.
Aaliya described her 11-year marriage with the star as a “bad dream”.
“My self-respect was gradually being eroded… He had never raised his hands on me, but the shouting and arguments had become unbearable… His family has mentally and physically tortured me a lot. His brother had even hit me… I have been bearing a lot for many years,” claims Aaliya in an interview with Bollywoodlife.com.
Siddiqui’s publicist declined to comment on the allegations against the actor and his family when tabloid reached out to his team in Mumbai. It’s Siddiqui’s second marriage and, according to reports, it was the two-month lockdown during Covid-19 that prompted her to examine the cracks in their troubled relationship.
Aaliya’s allegations are a follow-up to the legal-notice demanding divorce that she had sent to the actor through her lawyers on May 7. She is also seeking the sole custody of their two kids, Shora and Yani.
“What’s the point if you can’t respect your wife and kids? Our kids don’t even remember when their father last visited them. It has been three or four months since he’s met his kids, but he doesn’t care, so even the kids have become used to it and don’t even ask about him,” said Aaliya in the same interview.
Siddiqui and Aaliya, who knew each other before marriage, fell in love when they were young and re-united when Siddiqui divorced his first wife.
His wife has also accused him of having multiple affairs during their marriage.