Actor Saqib Saleem, best friends with newlyweds Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal, shared his experience of attending their wedding festivities. From accompanying groom Zaheer Iqbal on his bachelor trip to holding the phoolon ki chadar for bride Sonakshi Sinha during her bridal entry, Saleem was deeply involved in the celebrations.
“Sona and Zaheer have been a part of my life for the last six to seven years now. So, when you spend the most important years of your life with people like them, it doesn’t feel like you’re doing something special. It just felt like ghar ki shaadi,” Saleem said. He emphasized that the wedding felt like a family affair because of their deep bond and shared experiences over the years.
Seamless Responsibilities and Shared Joy
The 36-year-old actor highlighted that since he shares many common friends with the newlyweds, there was no need to plan who would take care of what during the celebrations. “We’ve all grown together, traveled together, eaten meals together, watched films, and partied together. So, after all this, you don’t think so much about who is doing what during a wedding. We were all there for both Sona and Zaheer because this is a beautiful love story for the ages, and we wanted to be a part of it,” said Saleem, who stars in the upcoming horror-comedy Kakuda, where he plays Sinha’s onscreen husband.
On a lighter note, Saleem added that he often found himself in a dilemma about choosing sides. “If I took Sona’s side, I’d get a message from Zaheer, ‘Theek hai bhai, you be on her side’. If I went on his side, I’d get a message from her. So, we were all walking on slight eggshells trying to please both the lovely people. Hence, we decided we were on both sides.”
Navigating Friendship and Romance
Despite the years of secrecy around Sonakshi and Zaheer’s relationship, Saleem explained there was no awkwardness about it. “Honestly, nobody was hiding anything. People were just being in their space. As friends, of course, we are protective about Sona and Zaheer, but they were never hiding anything. They were happy in their lives, and nobody likes to interfere in other people’s lives. Maybe social media gives a different impression, but in normal life, people are very busy with their respective lives. And whoever was part of Sona and Zaheer’s life was only happy for them,” Saleem concluded.
After the wedding on June 23, Saleem posted an Instagram story wishing the newlyweds with a genuine question, “Bhaiya Bhabhi bolun ya didi jiju?” He humorously admitted, “Woh confusion abhi bhi chal raha hai. Dekhte hain abhi kya hota hai.”
The heartfelt and familial nature of the wedding festivities truly reflected the strong bonds of friendship and love between Saleem, Sonakshi, and Zaheer.