Everlasting love: This Valentine’s Day we celebrate four power couples
These couples know just how to cheer their partner on a bad day and have the best advice to give
This Valentine’s Day we celebrate four power couples who have spent decades together and know just how to cheer their partner on a bad day and have the best advice to give!
Shabbir Jan & Fareeda Jan
Actor Shabbir Jan and his darling wife Fareeda Jan were married on September 23, 2001. This year marks their 15th year together.
What was your first impression of your partner?
Shabbir: She loved me so much without ever meeting me, and when I saw her love [for me] I was floored.
Farida: I couldn’t believe I was meeting him; I was dumbstruck!
What’s the signal you use to exit a party?
Shabbir: I start doing random embarrassing things and she will automatically say, let’s go!
Farida: I am very straight up, I just tell him it’s time to leave.
What is your quick fix to cheer your partner up on a bad day?
Shabbir: I start fooling around, make jokes or bribe her by saying I will take her out for a movie or shopping, and once she is fine I don’t take her ha-ha!
Farida: I get angrier with him; if he says one thing to me I say two back.
Tell your partner which celebrities you find attractive.
Shabbir: I don’t find anyone attractive. I’ve seen people without make up so I know reality; it’s hard to find them attractive after that!
Farida: Faisal Qureshi is so good. I don’t see anyone comparable to my husband in the industry though, for me he is still the best.
Who makes up first after a fight?
Shabbir: Farida will make up 90% of the time.
Farida: Me of course. Most of the time I want to break his phone because he plays a lot of games, but eventually I will make up.
What is the one lesson you have learned from each other?
Shabbir: We learnt how to struggle and fight for what we want, along with honing the ability to think positively.
Farida: To be positive and proactive, Shabbir is a go-getter and I have learned to fight for my dreams.
Do you have a favourite spot as a couple, some place you call your own or a destination you return to often?
Shabbir: We only go out with our children so there is nowhere we go alone.
Farida: I want to go alone for a movie or shopping with him. That’s when I feel we connect the most!
Do you have any nicknames for each other?
Shabbir: I call her Fareeda.
Farida: I call him Shab or Shabz.
Advice to newly wed couples?
Shabbir: Values are very important. There are no limitations on children anymore. My son got engaged and before the wedding the engagement ended because they were meeting and talking too much and didn’t have time to reconcile their differences and the relationship ended before it even started.
Farida: Respect each other and compromise. Love without respect is meaningless. Compromise is very important.
Shahid Aziz & Nilofer Shahid
Designer Nifoler Shahid and her husband Shahid Aziz tied the knot on March 30th, 1975. This year marks their 41st year of marriage.
What was your first impression of your partner?
Nilofer: He was my best friend’s brother so I was part of the family before I even got married. It was an arranged marriage, but when they proposed I was shocked.
Shahid: The kind of smile she had on her face was very attractive and then bus ankhon ankhon mein baatien ho gayien.
What does your partner’s do-not-mess-with-me face look like?
Nilofer: He’s like dark thunder. Once the thunder descends, there is calm and quiet for a couple of months. Then it’s like don’t mess with me at all!
Shahid: You can’t mess with her because it’s just like a machine gun firing away.
What is your quick fix to cheer your partner up on a bad day?
Nilofer: He’s a foodie, so I coax him into cooking for everyone and instantly his mood will become better. A hug goes a long way!
Shahid: I’ll take her out for a dinner or to some friend’s place and then she will relax.
Tell your partner which celebrities you find attractive.
Nilofer: Richard Gere and Kevin Costner.
Shahid: Elizabeth Taylor and Angelina Jolie.
Who makes up first after a fight?
Nilofer: Me, but it takes me a while to make things right. I’ll go quiet, and then I’ll be upset, and then make peace with it.
Shahid: Nilofer.
Do you have a favourite spot as a couple, some place you call your own or a destination you return to often?
Nilofer: He’s not much of a traveller. Our home is our haven and we have a zoo in our farmhouse. It’s his dream house, he grows his vegetables and we spend our time alone there.
Shahid Our home and my farmhouse.
One piece of clothing that you hate but it still exists in your partner’s wardrobe?
Nilofer: I hate his grey pants and he cannot get enough of them!
Shahid: The queen of Philippines probably has fewer shoes than Nilofer. She is so selective that I don’t hate anything. However, if it were up to me she would be wearing grey in the morning and black at night.
Do you have any nicknames for each other?
Nilofer: I call him Shahid. There is no jaanu maanu in my language.
Shahid: Cuckoo. Sometimes in public I do call her jaan.
Advice to newly wed couples?
Nilofer: I think people have become very self-centered and less tolerant. Parents need to instill positivity in their children.
Shahid: Patience and cool headedness are very important, along with knowing the repercussions of what will happen to the children if a relationship ends.
Shehnaz Sheikh & Seerat Hazir
Actor Shehnaz Sheikh and husband Seerat Hazir tied the knot on December 24, 1982. This year marks their 34th year together.
What was your first impression of your partner?
Shehnaz: None that I can recall.
Seerat: I thought she was very nice!
What’s the signal you use to exit a party?
Shehnaz: “Chalo, mein subha se jagi hui hoon aur mein ne subha school jana hai!”
Seerat: Entirely her prerogative. She decides the tone and manner.
What does your partner’s do-not-mess-with-me face look like?
Shehnaz: No difference. That’s his usual face.
Seerat: Very formidable.
What is your quick fix to cheer your partner up on a bad day?
Shehnaz: Say nice things about the in-laws.
Seerat: Nothing works!
Tell your partner which celebrities you find attractive.
Shehnaz: Dilip Kumar, Gregory Peck, and Ralph Fiennes.
Seerat: Madhu Bala.
Who makes up first after a fight?
Shehnaz: Him, because it’s always his fault.
Seerat: Usually it’s her.
Do you have a favourite spot as a couple, some place you call your own or a destination you return to often?
Shehnaz: No such place on earth.
Seerat: Can’t think of any.
One piece of clothing that you hate but it still exists in your partner’s wardrobe?
Shehnaz: The whole wardrobe actually!
Seerat: None.
Do you have any nicknames for each other?
Shehnaz: Thakur.
Seerat: Begum.
What’s the one quality in each other that you value
the most?
Shehnaz: Long absences.
Seerat: Hard, loving care.
Advice to newlywed couples?
Shehnaz: Sorry, it’s too late for advice!
Seerat: Give each other space and you’ll be fine.
Samina Peerzada & Usman Peerzada
Actor Samina Peerzada and her talented husband Usman Peerzada tied the knot on February 14, 1975. This year marks their 41st year together.
What was your first impression of your partner?
Usman: She was as crazy as I am.
Samina: I looked at him, and my cousin asked me, “What do you think of Usman?” I remember saying, “Good husband material”, even though I was only 17!
What’s the signal you use to exit a party?
Usman: We just look at each other and we know.
Samina: We try to have it decided beforehand, other times he’ll just know. I’m allergic to smoke, if there’s too much of it my eyes say, “Shall we?” and he knows it’s time to exit.
What does your partner’s do-not-mess-with-me face look like?
Usman: Her nose becomes smaller, eyes narrow down, and she is very tight-lipped.
Samina: His eyes and his eyebrows go right in the middle, he sort of frowns and you instantly know you can’t say anything then!
What is your quick fix to cheer your partner up on a bad day?
Usman: If I stay away she is fine.
Samina: A hug always does the trick.
Tell your partner which celebrities you find attractive.
Usman: There are so many of them, what can I do? Can’t pinpoint any one.
Samina: Andrea Bocelli. I remember saying, “Oh I just love this man!” and it was the only time Usman reacted. He said, “Mujhe tou kabhi aisay nahi kaha!”
Who makes up first after a fight?
Usman: Sometimes I will, but mostly it is Samina.
Samina: Me! He cracks a joke or makes a very silly remark, that’s his way of saying “Koi baat nai”.
One piece of clothing that you hate but it still exists in your partner’s wardrobe?
Usman: At times I hate these long kaftans she wears at home.
Samina: He dresses up very well, and has more luggage when we travel!
What’s the one quality in each other that you value the most?
Usman: There are many qualities; top of the line is her punctuality. She gets involved to help people out and her strong belief in herself.
Samina: He’s a great human being, and the best compliment I got from my girlfriends was that they are so comfortable with Usman.
Advice to newlywed couples?
Usman: People get bored, that’s why they split up. To keep an interest in the marriage you need to keep an interest in yourself.
Samina: Invest in your relationship and don’t take it for granted.
Shabbir Jan & Fareeda Jan
Actor Shabbir Jan and his darling wife Fareeda Jan were married on September 23, 2001. This year marks their 15th year together.
What was your first impression of your partner?
Shabbir: She loved me so much without ever meeting me, and when I saw her love [for me] I was floored.
Farida: I couldn’t believe I was meeting him; I was dumbstruck!
What’s the signal you use to exit a party?
Shabbir: I start doing random embarrassing things and she will automatically say, let’s go!
Farida: I am very straight up, I just tell him it’s time to leave.
What is your quick fix to cheer your partner up on a bad day?
Shabbir: I start fooling around, make jokes or bribe her by saying I will take her out for a movie or shopping, and once she is fine I don’t take her ha-ha!
Farida: I get angrier with him; if he says one thing to me I say two back.
Tell your partner which celebrities you find attractive.
Shabbir: I don’t find anyone attractive. I’ve seen people without make up so I know reality; it’s hard to find them attractive after that!
Farida: Faisal Qureshi is so good. I don’t see anyone comparable to my husband in the industry though, for me he is still the best.
Who makes up first after a fight?
Shabbir: Farida will make up 90% of the time.
Farida: Me of course. Most of the time I want to break his phone because he plays a lot of games, but eventually I will make up.
What is the one lesson you have learned from each other?
Shabbir: We learnt how to struggle and fight for what we want, along with honing the ability to think positively.
Farida: To be positive and proactive, Shabbir is a go-getter and I have learned to fight for my dreams.
Do you have a favourite spot as a couple, some place you call your own or a destination you return to often?
Shabbir: We only go out with our children so there is nowhere we go alone.
Farida: I want to go alone for a movie or shopping with him. That’s when I feel we connect the most!
Do you have any nicknames for each other?
Shabbir: I call her Fareeda.
Farida: I call him Shab or Shabz.
Advice to newly wed couples?
Shabbir: Values are very important. There are no limitations on children anymore. My son got engaged and before the wedding the engagement ended because they were meeting and talking too much and didn’t have time to reconcile their differences and the relationship ended before it even started.
Farida: Respect each other and compromise. Love without respect is meaningless. Compromise is very important.
Shahid Aziz & Nilofer Shahid
Designer Nifoler Shahid and her husband Shahid Aziz tied the knot on March 30th, 1975. This year marks their 41st year of marriage.
What was your first impression of your partner?
Nilofer: He was my best friend’s brother so I was part of the family before I even got married. It was an arranged marriage, but when they proposed I was shocked.
Shahid: The kind of smile she had on her face was very attractive and then bus ankhon ankhon mein baatien ho gayien.
What does your partner’s do-not-mess-with-me face look like?
Nilofer: He’s like dark thunder. Once the thunder descends, there is calm and quiet for a couple of months. Then it’s like don’t mess with me at all!
Shahid: You can’t mess with her because it’s just like a machine gun firing away.
What is your quick fix to cheer your partner up on a bad day?
Nilofer: He’s a foodie, so I coax him into cooking for everyone and instantly his mood will become better. A hug goes a long way!
Shahid: I’ll take her out for a dinner or to some friend’s place and then she will relax.
Tell your partner which celebrities you find attractive.
Nilofer: Richard Gere and Kevin Costner.
Shahid: Elizabeth Taylor and Angelina Jolie.
Who makes up first after a fight?
Nilofer: Me, but it takes me a while to make things right. I’ll go quiet, and then I’ll be upset, and then make peace with it.
Shahid: Nilofer.
Do you have a favourite spot as a couple, some place you call your own or a destination you return to often?
Nilofer: He’s not much of a traveller. Our home is our haven and we have a zoo in our farmhouse. It’s his dream house, he grows his vegetables and we spend our time alone there.
Shahid Our home and my farmhouse.
One piece of clothing that you hate but it still exists in your partner’s wardrobe?
Nilofer: I hate his grey pants and he cannot get enough of them!
Shahid: The queen of Philippines probably has fewer shoes than Nilofer. She is so selective that I don’t hate anything. However, if it were up to me she would be wearing grey in the morning and black at night.
Do you have any nicknames for each other?
Nilofer: I call him Shahid. There is no jaanu maanu in my language.
Shahid: Cuckoo. Sometimes in public I do call her jaan.
Advice to newly wed couples?
Nilofer: I think people have become very self-centered and less tolerant. Parents need to instill positivity in their children.
Shahid: Patience and cool headedness are very important, along with knowing the repercussions of what will happen to the children if a relationship ends.
Shehnaz Sheikh & Seerat Hazir
Actor Shehnaz Sheikh and husband Seerat Hazir tied the knot on December 24, 1982. This year marks their 34th year together.
What was your first impression of your partner?
Shehnaz: None that I can recall.
Seerat: I thought she was very nice!
What’s the signal you use to exit a party?
Shehnaz: “Chalo, mein subha se jagi hui hoon aur mein ne subha school jana hai!”
Seerat: Entirely her prerogative. She decides the tone and manner.
What does your partner’s do-not-mess-with-me face look like?
Shehnaz: No difference. That’s his usual face.
Seerat: Very formidable.
What is your quick fix to cheer your partner up on a bad day?
Shehnaz: Say nice things about the in-laws.
Seerat: Nothing works!
Tell your partner which celebrities you find attractive.
Shehnaz: Dilip Kumar, Gregory Peck, and Ralph Fiennes.
Seerat: Madhu Bala.
Who makes up first after a fight?
Shehnaz: Him, because it’s always his fault.
Seerat: Usually it’s her.
Do you have a favourite spot as a couple, some place you call your own or a destination you return to often?
Shehnaz: No such place on earth.
Seerat: Can’t think of any.
One piece of clothing that you hate but it still exists in your partner’s wardrobe?
Shehnaz: The whole wardrobe actually!
Seerat: None.
Do you have any nicknames for each other?
Shehnaz: Thakur.
Seerat: Begum.
What’s the one quality in each other that you value
the most?
Shehnaz: Long absences.
Seerat: Hard, loving care.
Advice to newlywed couples?
Shehnaz: Sorry, it’s too late for advice!
Seerat: Give each other space and you’ll be fine.
Samina Peerzada & Usman Peerzada
Actor Samina Peerzada and her talented husband Usman Peerzada tied the knot on February 14, 1975. This year marks their 41st year together.
What was your first impression of your partner?
Usman: She was as crazy as I am.
Samina: I looked at him, and my cousin asked me, “What do you think of Usman?” I remember saying, “Good husband material”, even though I was only 17!
What’s the signal you use to exit a party?
Usman: We just look at each other and we know.
Samina: We try to have it decided beforehand, other times he’ll just know. I’m allergic to smoke, if there’s too much of it my eyes say, “Shall we?” and he knows it’s time to exit.
What does your partner’s do-not-mess-with-me face look like?
Usman: Her nose becomes smaller, eyes narrow down, and she is very tight-lipped.
Samina: His eyes and his eyebrows go right in the middle, he sort of frowns and you instantly know you can’t say anything then!
What is your quick fix to cheer your partner up on a bad day?
Usman: If I stay away she is fine.
Samina: A hug always does the trick.
Tell your partner which celebrities you find attractive.
Usman: There are so many of them, what can I do? Can’t pinpoint any one.
Samina: Andrea Bocelli. I remember saying, “Oh I just love this man!” and it was the only time Usman reacted. He said, “Mujhe tou kabhi aisay nahi kaha!”
Who makes up first after a fight?
Usman: Sometimes I will, but mostly it is Samina.
Samina: Me! He cracks a joke or makes a very silly remark, that’s his way of saying “Koi baat nai”.
One piece of clothing that you hate but it still exists in your partner’s wardrobe?
Usman: At times I hate these long kaftans she wears at home.
Samina: He dresses up very well, and has more luggage when we travel!
What’s the one quality in each other that you value the most?
Usman: There are many qualities; top of the line is her punctuality. She gets involved to help people out and her strong belief in herself.
Samina: He’s a great human being, and the best compliment I got from my girlfriends was that they are so comfortable with Usman.
Advice to newlywed couples?
Usman: People get bored, that’s why they split up. To keep an interest in the marriage you need to keep an interest in yourself.
Samina: Invest in your relationship and don’t take it for granted.