Ali Abbas Zafar on tying knot with Alicia: Parents had tested COVID positive, so had to bring the date ahead

Ali Abbas Zafar. Image source: Yogen Shah

2021 brought in good news for director-producer Ali Abbas Zafar and his fans. Zafar tied the knot with partner Alicia in a hush-hush ceremony earlier this week. He introduced his wife to his fans on Tuesday by sharing love-soaked pictures of them from the wedding ceremony. In the picture, he can be seen holding his wife's hand and he wrote, 'Bismillah'.

Have a look at his post right here:

Now, the filmmaker has revealed what went behind his decision to marry. Speaking to The Times of India, Zafar said, "Mom and Dad had tested COVID positive, so I had to bring the marriage date ahead. They are growing old and wanted me to get married. Otherwise, the wedding was planned for 2022."

"Alicia is an Iranian based in France. In fact, she's born and brought up there. The shift was understandably not an easy decision for her at all. But I kept pursuing her because I felt that she was the only one I wanted to start a family with. I introduced her to my mother on Christmas, 2020 and the marriage took place on January 3, 2021, at my Dehradun house. It was a very private affair. My brother who stays in London could not attend due to the pandemic but we ensured that he got to witness it online," he added.

A few days back, in an exclusive interview to mid-day, the Tiger Zinda Hain director spoke about the hush-hush wedding. "She is a first-generation Iranian from France. I had gone there for work and immediately fell in love with her. I pursued her for almost two years, convincing her that I am the man who will keep her happy. It has been a difficult task, but I am glad she finally agreed," he laughs.

An exotic honeymoon will have to wait as the director has a chock-a-block date diary. "I plan to start shooting in Mumbai soon and have back-to-back shoots lined up all year. It is one of the reasons we got married now. Also, since Europe went into a second lockdown, we had no idea whether we would get another clear window soon. So, we decided to make the most of this period."

Zafar's wedding was welcomed by several Bollywood celebrities. Friends and colleagues from the industry, including Ranveer Singh, Arjun Kapoor, Bhumi Pednekar, Ananya Panday, Tisca Chopra, Disha Patani among others congratulated the couple. Zafar's close friend and longtime collaborator actor Katrina Kaif also commented on his picture. "Congratulations to you both," wrote Kaif, who has worked with him in Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, Tiger Zinda Hai, and Bharat.

On the work front, Zafar is awaiting the release of his digital debut, Tandav. The Saif Ali Khan-led political drama is set to stream on Amazon Prime Video from January 15.