“I knew within 10 minutes of getting married that I made a mistake,” says Nadia Khan on her divorce

Renowned host and actor Nadia Khan opened up about the struggles of her first marriage, a union she had initially entered with optimistic intentions. 

Khan also discussed the factors that led her away to stay in a relationship that never felt right.

In a recent interview with veteran actor Sajid Hasan, she candidly discussed her first marriage. Though it was a love match, Khan revealed she knew within ten minutes of the ceremony that it was not right.

"People may wonder why I did not leave sooner but they should also acknowledge that my partner and I tried for ten years to make it work," The "Pehchaan" actor said.

Nadia Khan attributed her hesitation to leave the relationship to her traditional upbringing. "Coming from a conservative environment, a part of me held onto old-fashioned ideas," she explained.

Despite her best efforts for a decade, the marriage ultimately failed but Khan kept her struggles hidden from her parents.

The "Aisi Hai Tanhai" actor stated, "I knew within the first ten minutes that I had made a mistake but I stayed for ten years. Our values simply did not align; it was unfair to both of us."

"I was not always comfortable expressing myself, but societal attitudes are changing. People are more understanding, and I have drawn strength from my industry colleagues who have publicly shared their experiences,"  she continued.

Finally, in 2010, Khan confided in her father about her unhappiness. "I told him I wasn't happy," she said. "He simply told me to come home with the children on the next flight."

She clarified that her children do not visit their father frequently since he lives abroad but she wholeheartedly supports their relationship and encourages them to connect with him whenever possible.

Nadia was previously married to Khawar Iqbal, with whom she shares a son and daughter. They divorced, and in 2021, she remarried retired Wing Commander Faisal Mumtaz Rao.