New Delhi: Music composer Ismail Darbar has found himself at the centre of a controversy after his recent comments about daughter-in-law Gauahar Khan working after marriage went viral on the internet. Many users have slammed the composer as “regressive” and “misogynistic.”
In a recent interview with journalist Vickey Lalwani, Darbar praised Gauahar for being a devoted wife and mother but expressed that he doesn’t support women continuing to work after marriage and motherhood.
He said, “All I know is that she has a wonderful relationship with Zaid and that she is a wonderful mother. There is no harm in being honest about this.”
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The composer further added that while he cannot tell Gauahar Khan not to work, that right belongs only to his son, Zaid.
He said, “Look, I come from a backward family. We used to turn away whenever a sensuous type of scene came in a movie. This happens in our house even today. Gauahar is a part of our family now, and we are responsible for her reputation. But I can’t tell her not to work; that right belongs only to Zaid. So, I don’t indulge in activities that might bother me.”
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How Did the Internet React?
Reddit users have slammed the musician for his statements.
One user commented, “Who is going to earn then? Gauahar is the most famous and accomplished person in this family.”
Another wrote, “Zaid her husband?! Who even gave him the right to give ‘permission’? Did he raise her and is she a minor? No! So no one has that right, I guess. Anyway, it’s their personal life — I don’t even know her that well or her husband, so I won’t say anything more.”
A third user called out the “patriarchal mindset,” writing, “And what has Zaid achieved till now in comparison to Gauahar that he has the audacity to stop her from working? So according to him, a woman is a child-making factory who has to stop earning for herself after becoming a mother.”
“Nagma still has time to run,” another comment read.
“The reason why people even know your son is because of Gauahar. I always considered her a classy lady — I don’t know what she saw in this clown and his obnoxious family,” a social media user commented.
“This is absurd and a misogynistic mentality!!!” another wrote.
Gauahar and Zaid’s Relationship
Gauahar Khan and Zaid Darbar tied the knot in December 2020 after meeting during the COVID-19 lockdown.
The couple reportedly crossed paths at a grocery store, where Zaid later messaged Gauahar on social media, calling her “the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.”
The couple welcomed their first child, son Zehaan, in May 2023, and another baby boy in September 2025.
