Naseeruddin Shah's first marriage: A tale of immaturity

Naseeruddin Shah, now a celebrated actor, candidly reflects on his first marriage to Purveen Murad in his autobiography. Married at 19 to Murad, who was 15 years his senior and a mother of two, Shah admits to significant emotional immaturity during their union.

His passion for theatre at Aligarh Muslim University led him to Murad, his strongest supporter. Despite familial objections due to their age gap and her prior marriage, they wed. However, the birth of their daughter, Heeba, exposed the marital strains, with Shah acknowledging his inability to support his wife during pregnancy.

Shah confesses his attention strayed, and he remained emotionally detached from his wife's experiences and the realities of fatherhood. His focus was on his acting ambitions, leading him to enroll at the National School of Drama shortly after Heeba's birth.

Communication with Murad broke down, and the marriage eventually collapsed. Shah also struggled to form an emotional bond with Heeba for many years. His eventual marriage to Ratna Pathak occurred only after his divorce from Purveen was finalized, a process that took several years.