Arshad Warsi recently looked back at the early days of his marriage to Maria Goretti and spoke about the hesitation her Catholic parents had when they first learned about their relationship. The actor
shared that while there was nervousness in the beginning, things slowly changed with time and understanding.
Speaking to Lallantop, Arshad said Maria’s parents were anxious mainly because it was an interfaith marriage and not what they had imagined for their daughter. He explained that they were simple, deeply religious people whose lives revolved around their faith. Recalling their reaction, Arshad said, “Voh thode ghabraiye hue the. Catholic girl and muslim guy. Woh dono bahut sharif hain. Unki zindagi main Jesus Christ ke alava aur kuch nahi hai. Voh thode se the ghabriye hue because they expected Maria to marry another Catholic guy jo 9-5 job karega, aur isne muslim ladka pakadliya aur jobless (They were a bit worried. A Catholic girl and a Muslim guy. Both of them are very decent people. There is nothing in their lives apart from Jesus Christ. They were slightly anxious because they expected Maria to marry another Catholic guy with a 9-to-5 job, and instead she ended up with a Muslim who is jobless).”
Arshad added that even during that phase, Maria’s parents believed he was a good person and trusted that he would take care of their daughter. Over time, that belief turned into full acceptance. Talking about how their bond evolved, he said, “In their heart, they knew that he is a good human. They had that confidence that he would take care of our daughter. But slowly they realised that mujhse behtar koi hai hi nahi (no one is better than me). They are very happy now, and they live with me. Unka self respect forces them to live in their own house, but hum kaise bhi jugaad karke unhe le aaye yahan pe (Their self-respect compels them to live in their own house, but somehow we managed to make arrangements and bring them here).”
The actor also shared how his love story with Maria began. Arshad first met her at Xavier’s College, where he had gone to judge a competition. Their friendship grew when Maria started doing theatre plays with him. That friendship eventually turned into love, though Arshad admitted it took time and effort, as Maria turned him down several times before finally agreeing.
Arshad and Maria got married in 1996 and are parents to two children — son Zeke Warsi and daughter Zene Warsi.
