Tarina Patel Married Husband Iqbal Sharma at Age 17 – Facts About Their Decade Old Love Story

Many may know Tarina Patel for her career as a South African actress, but those closest to her know her for many things, including her great personality and marriage to Iqbal Sharma that has sustained over a decade now, even though she married him when she was still considerably young, at only 17.

Years after they became man and wife, the actress, film producer, and model, and her husband, who was once named among the most influential people in South Africa, have continued to have a great life together while also offering each other as much support as possible both privately and publicly.

Quick Profile of Tarina Patel

  • Name: Tarina Patel
  • Place of Birth: Cape Town, South Africa
  • Ethnicity: Indian-South African
  • Career: Actress, model, and reality TV star

The Actress Was A Teenager When She First Met Her Husband

Tarina Patel
Tarina Patel (Image Source)

The love story of Tarina Patel and Iqbal Sharma started when the beautiful actress was still very young and trying to make her big marks as an actress and model. Although there is no revelation as to how they met, it is known that at the time, the man who would later become her husband was already an established businessman.

On her part, Tarina moved to India when she was 16 after she graduated from school before she later returned. She started acting back in 2006 when she made an appearance in the film, One Night With The King. In the few years that followed, she appeared in both Indian and South African films. It remains unknown, whether they met before or after she started making these and other achievements.

As stated, the actress was still a teenager when they met and even when they tied the knot, but not so much is known about her husband’s age at the time. His actual date of birth is not known, but it is obvious that he is much older than his beautiful wife.

Tarina Patel and Iqbal Sharma Had An Islamic And Hindu Wedding

In 2009, when Tarina was allegedly 17, she got married to the man she describes as the love of her life and prince charming, Iqbal Sharma. The Indian-style ceremony was held in Cape Town, South Africa. As a result of their religious faith, the marriage was done following both Hindu and Islamic traditions.

The exotic ceremony was attended by many of the close friends of the couples, business associates, family members, and other celebrities, many of whom flew to the country from India and other parts of the world. The actress described the ceremony as one of the biggest weddings seen in Cape Town.

Before her own wedding, Patel said she had attended many great weddings around the world, and so she wanted to have one for herself. In preparation for the ceremony, she moved with her father to India, where they tried to make arrangements while her then-fiance remained in South Africa, where he handled other arrangements.

According to the actress in an Instagram post, teams were flown into the country for the ceremony, as well as international chefs. Everything took 12 months to fully put in place.

There Is No Sign That They Have Any Kids Between Them

It has been over a decade since the fun-loving and beautiful couple got married, but it seems they are still yet to have any kids together. Although the actress shares many aspects of their marriage, she has kept all information about children away from the public light; hence, it is not known whether they have made any decisions on having children or not.

What is more important, however, is that they seem to be enjoying every bit of their union together, spending their time both in the country and traveling around the world. They have been to places such as China, France, Zambia, Thailand, Cuba, and many others.

Going through her social media handle suggests that the actress has a soft spot for kids as she has shared some beautiful pictures she took with her little nieces and nephews.

Tarina Patel Lashed Out At Saif Ali Khan After A Brawl With Her Husband

As far back as 2012, the actress dragged a famous Indian actor, Said Ali Khan after he assaulted her husband in a restaurant in India. It was reported that Sharma, who did not know who the actor was, told the latter through the manager of the restaurant to take his voice down, as he was talking loud in the restaurant. This did not sit well with the actor who, together with a friend, went on to assault the entrepreneur, leaving him with a broken nose.

Tarina insisted that her husband was a peace-loving man who, together with her, decided to move downstairs as the noise became unbearable. But then, the actor and his friends came and assaulted her husband, leaving him with a broken nose, a behavior she described as not normal. They also assaulted her father at the five-star hotel located at Colaba in Mumbai.

The actress and her husband would later drag Saif to court, where he was charged with assault and voluntarily causing hurt alongside his friends.

Tarina Patel’s Husband Is From One Of The Biggest Political Families in India

The overwhelming influence of Sharma is not only as an entrepreneur per excellence in South Africa but also as a member of one of the most influential political families in India. According to the actress, he has ties to celebrated Indian political leader and lawyer, Mahatma Gandhi.

In South Africa, her husband also has some powerful ties with some big names, including prominent anti-apartheid activist and writer, Fatimah Meer, who is his aunt. More so, his family is said to have played an important role in getting Mahatma Gandhi in South Africa. His unnamed uncle and former SA’s president Nelson Mandela were said to be best of friends.

Tarina Patel also revealed that with business interest in both South Africa and India, her husband’s role in ensuring that the two countries continue to maintain their bilateral relationship cannot be rubbished.

Quick Profile of Iqbal Sharma

    • Full Name: Iqbal Sharma
    • Ethnicity: Indian-South African
    • Education: Aitchison College, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Waterford Kamhlaba UWCSA
    • Career: Founder & Executive Chairman- ISSAR, Trade & Investment South Africa (TISA)- CEO, Department of Trade & Industry, South Africa- Deputy Director-General

Iqbal Sharma Has Held Different Offices In South Africa

Although he has mostly built his life around his businesses, that has not stopped Sharma from holding different offices in South Africa, including as the Deputy Director-General of South Africa’s Department of Trade and Industry. He held that position from 2001 until 2010.

In addition to that, the entrepreneur, who was once named among the 400 most influential people in South Africa by the Financial Mail, was previously the head of the Trade Policy division of the department. His role here was to oversee the country’s global economic strategies, managing its bilateral trade relations and negotiations.

A graduate from the University of Wisconsin, as well as the Waterford Kamhlaba UWCSA from where he got his higher education, he has been involved in the investment management industry and is behind the company, ISSAR, as its founder since 2011.

Love And Friendship Are Among The Reasons For Their Sustained Marriage

Many years after their marriage, “The Real Housewives of Johannesburg” star and her husband have still managed to keep their marriage intact, thanks to the love and friendship that they have shared through the years, as she stated that he has been her partner for a very long time.

More so, the lovely couple has always taken the time out to have fun and enjoy themselves, taking any opportunity they get to travel around the world, have dates, meet with family and friends, and have various fun activities.

Yet another thing that seems to be an important secret to their decade long marriage is the support they have for each other in their career paths. Nonetheless, they still give each other space, according to Iqbal, to do their individual things.

Was this article helpful?
  • Was this article helpful?
  • Yes
  • No
Tim van der Walt
Tim van der Walt
Tim is another of our talented writers, the one who plays music on replay, drinks more coffee than beer, plays video games, and reads poetry. In between, Tim reviews products, write about computers, games, and talk tech and arts. If there is a WIII, he thinks it could be caused by bad writing.

Recommended

Featured Today

Related Stories

error: Content is protected !!