It’s not easy being with a strong independent woman: Manzar Sehbai on Samina Ahmad

The couple shed light on love, marriage and career opportunities for senior actors

One of the showbiz industry’s most beloved couples, veteran actors Manzar Sehbai and Samina Ahmad sat down for an interview with a local publication, shedding light on their journey towards marriage, as well as the pitfalls of being senior actors.  

Sehbai and Ahmad tied the knot in an intimate ceremony in the early days of the pandemic. On what led them to get married during such turbulent times, Sehbai explained, “We were also at home. People couldn’t understand how we could have gotten married given the situation the world was in. It was shocking for them. However, as far as we are concerned, we didn’t make any decisions because of the situation. We didn’t think about what other people would say or what the world would think. We only thought about what was best for us, and went forward with it in a very simple manner, mainly because we didn’t get any sponsors (laughs).” 

Echoing the Bol actor’s sentiment, Ahmad added, “We did whatever we did for our own happiness, and hopefully it will be for the best going forward.” 

On choosing to get into a committed relationship at an older age, Sehbai highlighted the joys of engaging with a mature individual. “[Samina] is a very azad person, and so am I… It is a truly beautiful moment when someone who has reached a certain point in life and has somewhat of an idea of who they are, has a partner who is also aware of these things. Who am I? Where do I come from? What is my identity? There’s a lot of fun in that.”

Ahmad elaborated on the topic further, saying, “Life is an adventure. There are many ups and downs in life, and discovering things together, as well as discovering each other is a very enjoyable adventure.”

The couple met on the set of Dhoop ki Deewar, shared Ahmad, with Sehbai adding, “She has achieved a lot in her life. I don’t think it’s easy, being with such a strong independent woman, [but] there is a lot of richness in it.”  

“For me, it’s a really good thing to accept each other just the way you are,” shared Ahmad, with Sehbai chiming in, “What kind of a relationship is it if it doesn’t absorb differences?”

Sehbai often shares pictures of his wife on social media with loved up captions. When questioned about it, the actor responded, “I have no issues sharing pictures with her and expressing myself. If I’m in love with her, that is what it is. I’m not pestering anyone. This is what she deserves.” 

Speaking about the lack of variation the roles older actors are offered, Ahmad said, “It is very difficult bringing variation because they are all the same characters saying the same things. It’s weird. Sometimes I don’t even remember which lines I’ve already said and which situations I’ve already been in.”

She continued, “They tell me it’s new, but I always feel like it's the same story. The stuff that’s being written, the supporting roles in it, the older ones, they are not explored. Only the main characters are focused on. Others are very one-dimensional. I used to say this before, that if there is a character of a mother, why is her only job to bring tea for her kids? It’s just about taking the child’s or the husband’s story forward.”

Highlighting her love for showbiz, she added, “I enjoy acting. I didn’t do it because I had to. I enjoy everything related to show business, be it designing or even ironing the costumes.”  

The Aangan actor elaborated on the lack of financial security actors in the industry face, saying, “We have to look out for ourselves. We won’t get a pension, so we have to save money in order to have a comfortable retirement or if someone falls ill.”