Suniel Shetty opens up about interfaith marriage with wife Mana, says parents were dead against it: ‘Shaadi ek samjhauta hota hai'

Indian Express

2 days ago

Suniel Shetty's marriage to Mana Shetty made headlines back in the early '90s for more reasons than one. At the time, Suniel was just one film old in the industry, a stage when actors are often advised to avoid tying the knot. Yet, he defied conventions and societal norms to marry Mana, despite facing resistance from both families due to their different religious and cultural backgrounds. In a recent conversation with Pinkvilla, the actor got candid about the challenges they faced and how their relationship endured.
'She was with me from day one,' Suniel said. 'Mere maa baap clear thay ki shaadi hone waali nahi hai, aap shaadi kar nahi sakte (My parents were very clear, they said this marriage can't happen, you can't get married). Her community was different. But she never thought that way. She always told me, 'I'll always be there for you as long as you want me to be part of your life.' How can I forget that?' Suniel recalled how they decided to marry before his first film was even released: 'So when I got my first film, we decided to marry right then. We got married before my first release. The world kept telling me that if I got married, I'd lose my fan following, especially among women. Many people discouraged me. But I had made up my mind.'
Speaking about why he stood by his decision, he added: 'When someone you love deeply lets you step into one of the most insecure professions from a wife's perspective, it becomes your responsibility to honour that. I've always been clear and honest about my decisions. And I knew, even if I failed, she would never leave me. Yes, if my behaviour was wrong or if I wasn't committed, then she definitely would have. That self-respect was in Mana even back then, and it's still there today.'
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Reflecting on his own marriage, he added: 'Jab humari shaadi hui thi, tab shaadi ek commitment thi. Saat pheron le lete the, aur yeh decided tha ki saath janmon tak saath rahenge. Filmy dialogue lag raha hoga, par aisa hai nahi, yeh sachai hai. When you age, you realise how much of a balance a good wife brings into your life, in your children's upbringing. And you see that in your children (When we got married, marriage was a commitment. You took seven vows, and it was understood that you'd stay together for seven lifetimes. It may sound like a movie dialogue, but it's not, it's the truth).'
In an earlier episode of The Ranveer Show, Suniel Shetty also shared how he first fell for Mana. 'I fell in love with her the minute I saw her. But I used to be called the gunda because I used to have a bike, long hair, and that physique, and women around me all the time.' Talking about the lengths they went to be with each other, he recalled:
'I used to meet Mana at four o'clock in the morning on Christmas and New Year, but she didn't once complain. The minute we met, everything about her seemed so caring and so loving. One year, two years, three years, four years, and nine years, and my parents kept saying no. Her parents loved me from day one, we got along. Her mom and I were a riot together.' After nearly a decade of courtship, the couple got married on December 25, 1991. Their daughter, Athiya, was born the following year in 1992, followed by their son, Ahan, in 1996.