Daily Times

Actor-director and former member of Cabinet, Shahzad Nawaz spilt rare details of his teenage love story and marriage with wife.

In a new interview with a local magazine, TV and cinema veteran Shahzad Nawaz revealed that he first met his wife in college and she had him at ‘first Assalamoalaikum (greetings)’.

“I prefer saying salam, so she had me at that first salam,” the ‘Mein’ actor recalled his love at first sight moment and added, “We got to know each other and got married by the time I was 19.”

When asked if early marriage is what he suggests to youngsters these days, Nawaz replied, “If they have the capacity to bear the responsibility and the burden, [go for it].” “And know the difference that anyone can be born a man genetically, but it takes a lot to be a man. So if you are willing to elevate yourself from a male to a man, I would say 19 is the best age,” he explained. “Because there are many advantages as well of early marriages; you get to enjoy, learn, evolve [together] and raise your children in front of you. And when they are grown up, you are in a perfect position to play FIFA or cricket with them. [That way] one also shares a better connection with their children.”

“But that being said, there are always two sides, pros and cons of anything, so if you must blame, there is also another side,” he added.

Upon being asked about the secret of lasting love in marriage, the veteran credited his wife for the ‘added contribution’ to their relationship, and confessed, “Because I’m not an easy person to live with. It is tough to spend a life with a person like me.”

On the acting front, Nawaz swept acclaim for his stellar performance as Asif Shahwani, in the recently-ended drama serial ‘Mein’, headlined by A-list actors Ayeza Khan and Wahaj Ali.