How Madiha Imam found love travelling in Dubai

Are you pondering how to gauge whether your partner-to-be is the right one for you? You could just take a leaf out of actor and VJ Madiha Imam's book and take notes as you go travelling with them.

During a recent appearance on Hina Altaf's podcast, Madiha revealed that exploring Dubai together was how she had vetted her (now) husband, Indian entrepreneur Moji Basar, before taking the plunge and marrying him.

"I actually met my husband – who is my husband now - in Dubai," began the Dile Momin actor. She added that she had planned on staying with her sister whilst in the UAE, and told her mother in no uncertain terms that she wanted to meet her friend there – the man she intended to spend the rest of her life with.

"I told my mother I wanted to see the guy I want to marry, and if I want to marry him, I have to date him," recalled the former VJ. Predictably, her mother responded with a question of her own: "What do you mean, date? First, explain that to me!"

Undaunted, Madiha explained to her mother that the only way to truly understand if she was making the right decision was to explore the city with her future husband.

"When you travel with somebody, you find out a lot about a person – their mannerisms, how they talk to other people," remarked the actor. "I mean, we weren't travelling together, but we were meeting in an environment that was alien to him and to me, so you get to see how you are adapting and all of that."

Madiha left nothing to chance, noting down her data in secret along the way in order to best ascertain whether or not her travel companion was truly the one.

" I was making my notes and all that, although he didn't know that," she said. With a chuckle, she added, "I mean, he'll probably know that now!"

Madiha recalled that travelling together proved to be a hugely rewarding experience for the couple.

"That's when I saw Dubai properly for the first time," she noted. "We saw everything together and also saw Sharjah where my sister was staying, so that was really nice."

As fans will be aware, Madiha's Dubai experiment bore fruit, with the couple tying the knot in May 2023 in the city they explored together. Earlier this year during an appearance on Faysal Quraishi's podcase, Madiha spoke warmly of the connection she shares with her husband, even though the couple often have to sustain a long-distance relationship due to work commitments.

"He came into my life from nowhere, started opening up, and before we knew it, we got married," recalled Madiha fondly.

However, she is under no illusions about the drawbacks of a long-distance relationship. "It's not easy," confessed Madiha. "Resolvable fights drag on for weeks all because of our phones. Long-distance is terrible. Of course, there's the pro that distance makes the heart grow fonder, but honestly, I would rather live with the person."

Last year, Madiha made her directorial debut with the television drama Aeena. She began her career as a VJ and later entered the acting industry, earning a reputation for her exceptional performances in TV dramas such as Mujhay Vida Kar, Dushmane Jaan, and Zakham and 2017 Bollywood film Dear Maya. Over time, she has gained immense popularity for her dedication and skill in the entertainment world.