Make an effort, take no one for granted: Aagha Ali

Aagha Ali recently amicably parted ways with former wife Hina Altaf, and in an appearance on a local morning show, the Band Baja Aur Bajiya actor gave his thoughts on the key elements needed for a relationship to thrive.

"Nothing is more beautiful than marriage," he began. "I can look after myself, so it doesn't matter to me whether someone can cook or wash dishes. What really matters is, how much effort are you putting in to show your partner that they are loved? You need to put in 100 per cent effort, and it can only come with patience and hard work."

According to Aagha, a relationship is in danger of growing stale and withering away if either party does not take the time and effort to engage and show the other how much they mean to them. "It's a neutral factor," he continued, stressing that the onus is on both the man and the woman to keep the relationship thriving. "On a daily or weekly basis – or whatever your nature is – you need to prove that you are still there. Don't take each other for granted."

In Aagha's eyes, to take someone for granted is to go down a slippery slope. "People start to think, 'Oh, this person isn't going anywhere.' I think that's why 99 per cent of marriages fail - when people start assuming that the other person will always be there," he remarked.

However, Aagha remained typically tight-lipped about the end of his own marriage to Hina. Aagha and Hina wed in May 2020, shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic began. The pair got together after working on the drama Dil e Gumshuda and separated after four years of marriage.

Refusing to badmouth his former wife, Aagha noted, "I got divorced. It's been more than a year and a half now. I wish her nothing but health and happiness, and will not address anything about her, especially since she herself is not here. It's not nice."

Despite advocating for effort in a marriage, Aagha acknowledged that when a relationship cannot be revived, it is important to take a step back and take time to recover.

"It took me time," he said frankly. "I've not been shooting anything for the past 8 months. I gave myself that time. That emptiness in life that suddenly hits you takes a toll on you. You need time to process. I took that time, and thank God, things worked out."