"Meri shadi ke liye masjid main elan kiya gya:" Saman Ansari opens up about her divorce

Renowned actress Saman Ansari revealed that when she went abroad for higher studies, her maternal grandparents made an announcement  through a mosque that "the girl was available for marriage."

Saman Ansari recently appeared on a podcast where she opened up about her personal life and career.

She shared that her first marriage lasted 16 years before ending in divorce.

The Fairy Tale actor married at a young age while studying in Canada and had a son with her ex-husband. However, the couple eventually parted ways.

Following the separation, Saman moved to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where she undertook various jobs in Dubai.

She explained that her son could not join her in the UAE due to laws requiring that children remain in the same educational system. Consequently, he stayed with his father in the US.

Ansari also mentioned that she chose not to return to Pakistan because of the stigma and character assassination faced by divorced women, so she opted to settle in Dubai.

During the podcast, the Khaani actor recalled how her maternal grandparents arranged her marriage when she had travelled to Canada for higher education from Pakistan.

Upon her arrival in Canada, Saman said, "My family made an announcement in a mosque that I am open to marriage proposals.”

Ansari stated that, in the past, "marriages within Muslim communities abroad were arranged in a similar manner, long before the advent of WhatsApp and other social media apps."

She got engaged following the mosque announcement and met her husband for the first time on the day of their engagement.

They wed in a traditional manner with the consent of their families, and their union lasted for 16 years before it ended in divorce.