A rendezvous with Imran Khan

[Interview by Aanjo P C]

Saturday, April 15, 2006

Imran Khan''s marriage in 1995 to the one of Britain''s richest heiresses, Jemima Goldsmith, caught the world''s imagination. The marriage of the Muslim cricket star to the British millionairess caused waves in his home country because he was in his 40s and she was only 21. Not only this... she was from a Jewish background and he a Muslim! But this fairy tale was sadly not to last for ever. What went wrong? Pakistan''s greatest ever cricketer, breaks his silence about the high profile marriage and the divorce that followed.

Always written about and never heard from, here is a great opportunity to find out how the handsome Imran Khan sees himself. Catch him on Rendezvous with Simi Garewal on Sunday, April 16th, 2006 at 9.30 pm IST, only on STAR World.

Excerpts from the second of the three part exclusive, in which Imran opens up about true love, Jemima and the end of a fairy tale romance

If there is anything like love at first sight... Was it love at first sight when you met Jemima?

You see love again is very ambiguous. It fuses into various things. But, yes, there was intense attraction.

You didn't want to have an affair at that time. It was only going to be marriage for you?

Ya. I was disillusioned by this bachelorhood, which seems very glamorous and glittery from outside and looks wonderful. But I found there was lots more headache, emptiness... whereas married life with all its problems... you actually feel happiness in it. Real and genuine happiness.

But in your case there were many factors in conflict?

Yes there were. The main factor being that she was not Pakistani and I had always known that my like belonged in Pakistan. I knew it would be difficult for her. But just because it was going to be difficult, it was not going to stop us from trying.

She decided to convert to Islam. Why?

It was entirely her decision. She read on Islam, she read the Quran and decided to convert after meeting me.

Another thing was the age factor... she was 21 and you were 42. Didn't it worry you?

It didn't worry me. She was intelligent for her age. It might have bothered her... you can ask her that.

What did your family think of bringing home a foreign wife?

Oh, there was a huge shock element. And while we were thinking of marriage we were not going out as such. My extended family got a huge shock when they got to know.

You gave most of your material belongings to the hospital. Why didn't you accept any financial assistance from her?

I would have been so humiliated. Her father offered to buy us a house. But I just couldn't accept that. She knew what I was when she married me. It would have also meant that I married her for money. I just couldn't accept that.

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