The love story of popular Dhallywood couple Moushumi and Omar Sani has remained a subject of public interest for more than three decades.
The couple secretly married on March 4, 1995, and held their wedding reception a year and a half later, on 2 August.
After 31 years of marriage, they continue to stay together despite family life, children, occasional disagreements and rumours of separation.
Recently, Omar Sani opened up about their relationship and revealed what still attracts him to his wife.
Asked what he finds most appealing about Moushumi, Omar Sani said her caring nature and stubbornness continue to attract him.
He said Moushumi can keep things to herself for a long time, while he cannot, adding that he has less patience than his wife.
For Omar Sani, however, Moushumi’s most important identity as a wife is that she is the mother of their children, Fardeen and Faiza.
He said she remains deeply concerned about their children and jokingly added that he comes after them in her list of priorities.
Sharing a humorous family experience, Sani said that when he sits down to eat, Moushumi makes sure certain pieces of meat are kept for Fardeen and others for Faiza. He joked that he often enjoys chewing on bones and is quite happy with that.
The couple have faced separation rumours at different times during their marriage.
Addressing the issue, Sani said both he and Moushumi are human and can make mistakes. However, he said excessive media coverage of such matters can become a problem.
According to Sani, Moushumi sometimes responds to such reports by saying that perhaps those who write about their personal life make a living from it.
Despite all the discussions and criticism, Sani made his feelings clear. “Even at this age, I will say this: Fardeen and Faiza’s mother, I love you,” he said.
Sani also believes trust and sacrifice are essential to maintaining a marriage. He said both qualities exist in their relationship.
He also spoke about Moushumi’s straightforward nature. She sometimes scolds him when she feels he is making mistakes or losing out on opportunities.
Yet, he said, she is always concerned about what he needs, what he wants to do and how he wants to do it. Overall, he described Moushumi as a very comfortable person to be with.
The couple’s relationship did not begin easily. They first met at the mahurat ceremony of Keyamat Theke Keyamat.
Later, filmmaker Sheikh Nazrul Islam took Omar Sani to Moushumi’s family home in Mohammadpur, Dhaka, with an offer for a film. That was when they first spoke.
Moushumi could not accept the offer because she was busy with another film, leaving Sani disappointed when he returned home that day.
After Keyamat Theke Keyamat was released in 1993, several producers brought the two actors together for the first time as a pair in Dola.
They faced some disagreements while shooting the film in Sylhet. However, that distance gradually turned into affection.
Sani was impressed by Moushumi’s personality, her family’s warmth and her behaviour.
They eventually married secretly on 4 March, 1995, in the presence of close family members and two film directors who were close to them. A wedding reception was held a year and a half later, on 2 August.
