Nawazuddin Siddiqui reacts to wife Aaliya withdrawing divorce notice against him, says 'children should not suffer'

Nawazuddin Siddiqui has commented after his wife, Aaliya, halted divorce proceedings against him. The couple has said that their priority is their children.

Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui has said that his children are the priority, after his wife, Aaliya, had a change of heart about wanting to divorce him. Last year, she'd filed divorce papers, seeking to end their decade-long marriage.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s wife has withdrawn her divorce notice.

Aaliya and Nawaz have two children together, and in statements following her legal notice, she'd made several serious allegations against the actor and his brother, Shamas.

Nawaz told Bombay Times on Saturday, “I prefer not to talk about my personal life, and I have never spoken ill of anyone. I don’t let negativity and hatred get to me. She is still the mother of my children, and we have shared a decade of our life together. I will always support her no matter what. Mera farz banta hai ke main unka khayal rakhu (It is my responsibility to provide for them). Aaliya and I are not on the same page, we may not agree with each other, but our children have always been my priority. They should not suffer because of us. Rishtey bante bighadte rehte hai, unka asar bacchon pe nahi hona chahiye (Relationships have their ups and downs, but that shouldn't affect the children). I want to be a good father.”

He continued, “Insaniyat hi sab kuch hai. Pehle achhe insaan bano (Humanity is everything, we must all strive to be good humans). Lately, we have seen so much suffering; if the pandemic can’t change you for the better, nothing will. I’ll always be there for them. And each one of us needs to introspect.”

Earlier in the day, Aaliya, who said that she would revert to her birth name Anjana Kishor Pandey following her separation from Nawaz, said that she would no longer be pursuing a divorce, after observing a change in his demeanour in recent weeks.

“I was down with COVID, and Nawaz not only took care of the children, but also me," she told Bombay Times. "This was despite what I said about him. He kept our differences aside and looked after me. Whenever I have been under stress, he has always helped me. This pandemic was an eye-opener. I realised what matters the most is the well-being of your children and good health. Our children need us, and if their happiness lies in us being together, we can keep our disagreements aside. I have withdrawn the legal notice that I had filed. I don’t seek divorce anymore, and I want to give this marriage a chance.”

Aaliya had accused Nawaz of infidelity in a 2020 interview, and his brother of physical violence. Nawaz's lawyer had said that Aaliya had constructed a ‘slander campaign’ against the actor in the media.