Aaliya in a still from the video. (courtesy: aaliyanawazuddin)
Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui and his ex-wife Aaliya Siddiqui have been making headlines for some time now due to their strained relationship. Aaliya had previously accused Nawazuddin Siddiqui and his family of harassment at the time of divorce. Then, in March, Aaliya claimed the actor had thrown her and their two children out of his house. Aaliya had shared a series of videos on Instagram about the same. Now, in an interaction with News18, Aaliya has said that she chose to go public with her marital troubles as she was “suffering a lot.” The report quoted her as saying, “I had to talk about these things in public because I was suffering a lot. I felt like I would suffocate if I didn't. The decision taken by the court finally makes me feel I'm at peace. Only I know what I went through mentally. One can imagine the kind of misery a person is in if they talk about their private matters in public.”
Aaliya also admitted that she did not want to fight in public. “I still think that I shouldn't have spoken about these things in public. But when you're in deep trouble, you've to resort to a public forum because you've no one to listen to you. Why were wars fought in the olden times? People would carry their swords and other weapons to fight battles. I'm sure that they would have preferred to settle matters through conversations but they couldn't. When you've no one listening to you, you've to fight,” Aaliya said.
Her personal challenges affected her mental health as well as her work. “I took to a public platform because I wanted the media to understand what I was going through. I was going through some really deep difficulties and I wasn't able to tell anyone about it. I've been going through it for the past 12 years. My career was getting affected. I wasn't allowed to work. They didn't allow my career to go further and wanted to hold me back.” Aaliya has produced the 2022 film Holy Cow which featured Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the lead role.
Here's a video that Aaliya shared on Instagram
Earlier the Bombay High Court had suggested that the couple attempt to resolve their differences amicably, keeping the best interests of their minor children in mind.
Previously in March, Rizwan Siddiquee, Aaliya's lawyer had received the settlement draft from Nawazuddin Siddiqui. The settlement had come days after a defamation suit was filed against Aaliya and the actor's brother Shamasuddin. The defamation suit filed by Nawazuddin Siddiqui on March 20 in the Bombay High Court sought ₹100 crores in damages and a written apology from Aaliya and Shamasuddin.