Former Indian cricket team captain, Mohammad Azharuddin is a familiar name for cricket fans. He played in an era before social media but always made a buzz for both his wristy strokeplay on the field and controversies in his personal and professional life. Years later, after he stepped away from the field, his biopic, Azhar, starring Emraan Hashmi in 2016, again raised curiosity about his life, especially his first wife, Naureen.
Although it has been eight years since the film’s release, conversations about her keep surfacing time and again. However, there are only bits and pieces of information available about her which leaves fans confused. So, here is everything you might want to know about Naureen.
Naureen and Mohammad Azharuddin were married for nine long years
Naureen married Mohammad Azharuddin at the tender age of 16 while he was still trying to find his footing in the Indian cricket team in 1987. Their marriage lasted for nine long years, and the former couple was blessed with two sons, Mohammad Asaduddin and Mohammad Ayazuddin. While the cricketer was thriving at the cricket field after marriage, Naureen looked after their family at home. But, soon, his personal life quietly shifted, and his marriage with Naureen ended in a shocking divorce after Azharuddin married Bollywood actress, Sangeeta Bijlani in 1996.
It left Naureen alone to deal with heartbreak and motherhood, and she completely stepped back from the public. She spent her time raising her sons and maintained a dignified silence on the media speculations around her divorce and her ex-husband’s new marriage. In 2011, a tragedy struck the former couple when their younger son passed away in a motorcycle accident. But, despite the loss, Naureen never lashed out about her feelings in the media.
Naureen’s remarried twice after her divorce
Mohammad Azharuddin parted ways with his second wife, Sangeeta Bijlani, in 2010, citing irreconcilable differences, and on the other hand, Naureen found companionship again. After her divorce from the former cricketer, she is said to have married a Canadian businessman. Some reports suggest that she has two kids from the marriage, but others counter the claim.
After some time, the second marriage also ended in divorce, and she allegedly tied the knot for the third time with a Muslim community leader in London in 2010. However, the concrete details about her second and third marriage remain limited due to her decision to lead a private life. Naureen also continues to have a cordial bond with her elder son, Mohammad Asaduddin. Even he continues to post about his blended family and once shared a picture with a caption:
“With my lovely two brothers.”
Prachi Desai portrayed Naureen’s character in Azhar
Mohammad Azharuddin’s cricketing career ended early after he was accused of match-fixing in 2000. He received a lifetime ban and though it was lifted in 2012 after the Andhra Pradesh High Court overturned the decision due to lack of evidence, still his career had ended by them. The world got to see a glimpse of the cricketer’s life, match-fixing controversy and personal life in his biopic, Azhar In 2016. In the film, Emraan Hashmi played the role of Mohammad Azharuddin, Nargis Fakhri played the role of Sangeeta Bijlani, and Prachi Desai stole the show as Naureen, where everyone got to know about her through the film. Expressing her feelings on meeting Naureen, Prachi fondly told PTI:
“I did meet Naureen. After all the assumptions and notions that I had heard about her, my perception completely changed for the better when I met her. It was very emotional to see her in reality. There was an instant connection with her, maybe because of the script, the character I was playing.”
In a world where fame precedes everything else, Naureen’s journey is an ideal example of how strength sometimes lies in silence and grace. What do you think about her? Let us know.
Next Read: Meet Adnan Sami’s First Wife, Zeba Bakhtiar, Pakistani Film Actress, Producer And More