Ali Merchant on his first Eid with wife Andleeb Zaidi: The whole month of Ramzan feels different this year

Ahead of the auspicious occasion of Eid al-Fitr, actor Ali Merchant is all excited to celebrate the festival with his wife, Andleeb Zaidi. “Plans are going to be a little different this year. Usually, I used to do my morning prayers and then go meet my family. But this time I will be going with my wife to meet a lot of family members, show her around, and there will be a lot of get-togethers. We will also be going to many friends’ houses.”

Adding a romantic touch to their celebrations, Merchant discloses, “Eid ka outfit is something that I will gift her. We went shopping two days before the festival, and I bought her a watch too, along with the clothes. We will be wearing color-coordinated clothes. I let her buy the color she wanted and then bought my outfit accordingly. I mostly wear white on Eid.”

For him, this Eid marks not just a festival but a month-long journey of spiritual reflection and shared responsibilities. “It is not just the festival of Eid but the whole month of Ramadan that feels different now,” he shares thoughtfully. “Pehle mom and dad ke saath roze rakhta tha, but now it is her and my responsibility to take care of everything – the prayers are being done properly together, diet, and everything else.”

Despite hailing from diverse cultural backgrounds, the duo is relishing the opportunity to explore each other’s traditions and rituals. “There is a slight cultural difference as she is from Lucknow and I am from Bombay, but it’s great and a nice feeling to know each other’s ways and in-depth cultural rituals,” the 39-year-old remarks warmly.

Discussing the culinary delights of Eid, his eyes light up with anticipation. “Food is the best part about Eid that gets me excited,” the actor admits with a smile. “I can eat whatever I want, that I wasn’t able to eat till now. I was traveling and then had a minor accident as well, so I was waiting that jaldi se Ramadan hojaaye, fir I will get back to routine.”

“She is from Lucknow and the taste of food there is amazing, Mumbai can’t compete with that. It’s a task for me to take her to places where she gets a little bit of better taste,” he further adds.

Reflecting on their journey as a newlywed couple, Merchant emphasises the importance of quality time and mutual understanding. “It’s amazing, a lot of learning and unlearning, which should happen between a couple. Time dene se zyada quality time important hota hai. We both are more focused on building the foundation of our personal life and going in depth into each other’s every single emotion.”