Did you know that legendary actor Naseeruddin Shah’s first marriage was at just 19 years old to a woman 15 years his senior? While fans mostly know him as Ratna Pathak Shah’s husband, few are aware of his early life struggles, including a decade-long battle to pay alimony to his first wife, Parveen Murad.
Meeting Parveen Murad
A story published by Bollywoodshaadis credited multiple reports suggesting that Naseeruddin first met Parveen while he was a student at Aligarh Muslim University. At the time, he was 19 and Parveen, a 34-year-old divorcee with children, was considerably older. Despite his student status, the couple married in a traditional ceremony in 1969, and within a year, they had their only child, a daughter named Heeba.
Challenges in the marriage
Their marriage soon faced challenges. One major issue arose even before their wedding—family opposition. Naseeruddin’s family disapproved because Parveen was divorced, had children, and was 14–15 years older than him. Meanwhile, Parveen’s family had their own doubts and demanded a substantial mahr (alimony) in case of a future divorce. Over time, differences in priorities drove the couple apart, and they gradually decided to separate.
Alimony struggles
After their divorce, the veteran Bollywood star was required to pay a substantial alimony to Parveen, as agreed upon by her family. This financial obligation delayed his ability to move on. Reports suggest it took him over a decade to complete the payments. During this period, Naseeruddin continued his acting career, and years later, he starred in the film Masoom. The earnings from this project enabled him to pay off the full alimony, finally bringing closure to the matter after 12 years.
Meeting Ratna Pathak
While he was still handling the alimony payments to his first wife, he met Ratna Pathak in 1975 during their theatre work. Their friendship gradually blossomed into love, and they began dating. Since Naseeruddin was not yet legally free from his first marriage, they could not wed at the time, so the couple chose to live together in a live-in relationship.After dating for nearly seven years, Naseeruddin and Ratna tied the knot in 1982, beginning their life together. The couple soon welcomed two sons, Imaad Shah and Vivaan Shah. As of 2025, they have been together for over four decades, standing by each other as unwavering support systems.
