For Parey Hut Love actor Sheheryar Munawar's birthday, Agar actor Maheen Siddiqui uploaded a picture of Sheheryar on her Instagram Stories and added two emojis to indicate her birthday wishes for him. Although Maheen's update lacked any kind of insinuation, Sheheryar reposted it with the words, "Thank you, my jaan (life)."
Sheheryar also uploaded a photograph featuring a group of his loved ones, which Maheen was an apparent part of, as they presented him with a cake and gathered around him in celebration. Sheheryar's heartfelt, emoji-ridden caption clarified the context as it read, "12AM surprise. Thank you for making it special, guys."
Humble, educated and soft-spoken, the actor took a step away from his usual silence on personal matters in a recent appearance on the FWhy podcast, talking about grief, therapy, and his gratitude to his fans.
"I lost my brother 12 years ago," said Sheheryar, "and my response to it was to hide from it and pretend that it doesn't affect me. I didn't cry much. I was just holding it in."
The 7 Din Mohabbat In star lost his beloved elder brother to a car accident, but after years of holding in the pain, he has come to a place where he is free to remember the good times. Sharing a happy memory from his past, Sheheryar recalled, "My brother taught me everything, from cricket to cycling. He removed my training wheels. He didn't have to, but he did. I remember he said 'I'm holding you!', and then he pushed me down the slope. It's a do-or-die kind of thing, no?"
Smiling at the memory, the actor added, "I haven't thought of this story before, and I just remembered it, and it made me happy. Unfortunately, when you hold on to grief, it comes out at different times in different ways. There are moments when you think about it and you have a weak moment - the idea is to remember the good things. It teaches you a lot about life. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger."
Advocating the importance of seeking professional help when life starts affecting one's mental health in spite of cultural stigmas, Sheheryar noted, "Depression is very common. Sometimes, things can be very overwhelming We are human. God makes us with weaknesses. The idea is to deal with those weaknesses. It's ok to ask for help."
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