How Mani empowers Hira

Express Tribune

01-05-2025

In a world of boys, Mani is a gentleman — and he's past feeling apologetic about it. During his appearance on the podcast Excuse Me by Ahmad Ali Butt, the actor — known formally as Salman Saquib Sheikh — spoke up about the heartwarming bond that he shares with his wife, Hira Mani.
"We have honestly moved past this. But people often question the fact that I support my wife too much," Mani said, before matter-of-factly stating, "That's how it should be, friend."
The Teri Meri Kahaniyaan actor, who is a father to two sons, said that he would apply the same approach if he had a daughter. "I would've liked it if she was a swimmer or an athlete, since I'm a fan of sports," he said, adding that his priority would be to empower her, no matter her creative inclinations, so that she could stand on her own feet.
'Success inside the home'
Contrary to popular belief regarding the matter, Mani doesn't believe there's anything wrong with being influenced by different cultures for a change. "We've seen that in societies where women work in tandem with men, there is less room for arguments and fights. There's also a sense of joy in such societies and a decrease in economic crises."
Critiquing traditional methods, he observed, "We have enforced this extended family system where everyone must live together. Many people have brought this up, but I've said this long ago that we impose this system of clan values a little too much. Maybe this problem prevails over the entire subcontinent, so it includes India and Pakistan."
Mani clarified that the point of saying all this isn't that he has become westernised, rather, that his mindful approach boils down to the basic level - the relationship between a husband and wife. "Even if I was married to someone else and if she had some sort of talent that she wanted to pursue, I wouldn't have stopped her, so that she wouldn't have a reason to one day say that she wasn't allowed to put in effort."
The Yaqeen Ka Safar actor shared that he grew up in a family where creative pursuits were encouraged, regardless of gender. "So whether it's my wife, or daughter, or even my wife's sister, it would make me happy to see any relative of mine accomplish their goals."
Countering the idea that it's difficult for people to applaud someone else's success, he said, "The success is still inside the home. It hasn't gone anywhere; it has just shifted. And even then, it tends to fluctuate. It swings back and forth between family members."
Mani cited his wife as an example. "Hira has proved herself many times through her acting skills. There must have been times when something she did backfired on her, but she picked herself back up anyway. It's the same case with any of us. We only move forward from our ups and downs."
An involved household
It's not lost on Mani that Hira's efforts extend beyond her professional life. "She's always looking out for the kids. Even when she returns home, the kids want to eat her handmade food," he said, adding that his wife does all this during the days when she has "painful" drama shoots.
When it comes to parenting, Mani makes sure to assert his place as the co-captain of the ship. Where Hira advocates for leniency and skipping school days from time to time, Mani strikes a balance by keeping his sons academically inclined. No compromises there.
In turn, Hira's strictness elevates when it comes to running the household. "That is where she tells me not to intervene and that she can handle it," the Money Back Guarantee actor said.
What makes the star couple's job easier is their kids' compliant maturity, especially when it comes to picking out the right company. "It's all in the genetics. They have this intuition when it comes to people, even if those people are my friends. They'd just tell me, 'Baba, we are not too sure about these people. We don't understand their vibe.'"
This maturity applies even when it comes to the digital landscape, which Mani believes is a tricky plain for celebrities to navigate. "We have taught them that since we live in the limelight, we'd be subject to trolling, hate, and even lots of love. And now they fully understand this. That's why they don't have social media accounts, or at least not public ones."
Mani recalled that his son Ibrahim got too much traction on an account, so he ended up deleting it. Meanwhile, his other son Muzammil is more concerned with posting edits online. "Aaron Paul from Breaking Bad once messaged him as well, so that's been Muzammil's biggest achievement so far."
For Mani, parenting gets easier with age, as his kids are now old enough to turn the tables and advise him on right and wrong. "Ibrahim is well-informed, while Muzammil is very smart," he noted, remembering the moments when the two would guide him through world affairs and navigating the harsh side of the internet. "Those two are our check-and-balance."