Actor Eva Grover, known for popular television shows including Karishma Ka Karishma, Kora Kagaz and Sapna Babul Ka… Bidaai, has spoken candidly about her former marriage to Hyder Ali Khan, Aamir Khan’s half-brother. In a recent interview, she alleged that what began as a whirlwind romance eventually turned into years of domestic violence, emotional distress and personal loss. While the couple has long been divorced, Eva also claimed that Hyder is now going through difficult times and struggling to meet even basic needs.Eva recalled that she and Hyder eloped because theirs was an interfaith relationship. According to her, he proposed just 19 days after they first met, and the two married shortly thereafter.During the interview, Eva alleged that Hyder had schizophrenia, a condition she said she knew nothing about at the time of their wedding.“On the third day of our marriage, I witnessed the first streak of violence. He had schizophrenia, but back then I didn’t really understand what schizophrenia meant. I barely knew Hyder. In the 18 days before our wedding, I had only seen his chivalrous side. But on the third day of our marriage, he started hitting me during our intimate moment. At that time, I couldn’t understand why it was happening,” she claimed in an interview with Siddharth Kannan.Eva further alleged that Hyder’s mental health struggles, combined with excessive alcohol consumption and disappointment after quitting his job to pursue acting, led to a steady decline in their relationship. She also said his parents tried unsuccessfully to stop the alleged abuse.“There used to be bruises. I would be shaken. My father-in-law and mother-in-law tried to make him understand. They even cried in front of him, asking why he was behaving like this,” she said.She also alleged that Hyder became increasingly suspicious and frequently accused her of incidents that existed only in his imagination. “He started having obsessive thoughts that weren’t real. He would imagine I was sitting with the driver or accuse me of things that existed only in his imagination. From morning till evening, he would drink alcohol,” she claimed. Despite the alleged abuse, Eva said she remained in the marriage for five years in the hope that things would improve. She believed that becoming parents might strengthen their relationship, but said the situation only worsened after the birth of their daughter.“There was a lot of violence in my marriage. I tried very hard to save it. I even thought having a child would make everything better, but instead, things only became worse. As soon as my daughter was born, divorce proceedings were initiated and I was sent back to my mother’s house,” she recalled.Eva alleged that her injuries were severe enough for those around her to notice, and credited her relatives and colleagues with encouraging her to leave the marriage.“My uncle, members of my shooting unit and everyone around me convinced my mother that I was in a terrible condition. I had bruises all over my body. They said I wouldn’t survive if I stayed there. Eventually, I got divorced,” she said.The actor also reflected on the emotional toll of being separated from her daughter. She said the child initially stayed with her until the age of three, after which custody shifted permanently to Hyder’s family following weekend visits with her father that allegedly became increasingly difficult.“I stayed silent for so long that in all that chaos, my daughter was permanently given to that family when she was three years old. I didn’t see her for the next 10 years because I had no support,” she said.Eva added that although she could not meet her daughter for a decade, she continued to support her financially by contributing to her education.“I endured physical abuse for five years. My daughter wasn’t with me. I didn’t see her for 10 years. I used to quietly send money every month for her education. She is 19 now and visits me once or twice a week. She is far more mature than I ever was at her age,” Eva shared.During the same interview, Eva also spoke about Aamir Khan’s relationship with Hyder Ali Khan’s side of the family. She claimed that Aamir was aware she had been facing problems in her marriage.“I had heard that Aamir sir had said I had not taken the right decision. That message had reached me before my marriage through other sources, but I didn’t pay attention,” she claimed.Eva further alleged that Aamir largely stayed away from that side of the family. She explained that Hyder and his sister were not Tahir Hussain’s biological children but were from his second wife Shehnaz Khan’s previous marriage.She also claimed that during Tahir Hussain’s final days, Aamir took him to Pune to care for him and that Hyder’s mother, Shehnaz Khan, was not allowed to meet him despite their close relationship.“Aamir Khan sir didn’t want to have any relationship with this family. When Tahir Abbu was in his last phase, he took him to Pune and kept him there. Even my former mother-in-law, whom Tahir Hussain loved, was not allowed to meet him,” Eva alleged.Eva claimed that her former mother-in-law’s health deteriorated in the years that followed, and that she eventually suffered a brain haemorrhage and passed away.Before concluding her interview, Eva Grover said that despite the pain she alleges she went through during her marriage, she still feels compassion for her former husband. According to her, Hyder Ali Khan is currently facing severe financial hardship and is struggling to get by.“Today, Hyder is not in a good condition. He has no house and struggles even for food. Sometimes someone lets him stay in a chawl, sometimes a friend helps him. I feel sad. Whatever happened, happened, but from a humanitarian point of view, he was once my husband.”Eva further claimed that Hyder has been left without proper care and is surrounded by people who continue to enable his drinking habits.“He is surrounded by people who keep giving him alcohol. There is no one to look after him. I only pray that whenever his time comes, he finds peace. He has suffered a lot.”
