July 26, 2025
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Suniel Shetty and Mana Shetty’s marriage in the early 90s was in the news for many reasons. At the time, Suniel had done just one film in the industry, a period when actors are often advised to avoid marriage. Yet, he broke traditions and social norms to marry Mana, despite opposition from both families due to their different religious and cultural backgrounds. In a recent conversation with Pinkvilla, the actor opened up about the challenges he faced and why his relationship lasted.

“She was with me from day one,” Suniel said. “My parents were very clear that the marriage is not going to happen, you can’t get married. Their community was different. But she never thought that way. She would always tell me, ‘As long as you want me to be a part of your life, I will always be with you.’ How can I forget that?” Suniel recalled how they decided to get married even before his first film released: “So when I got my first film, we decided to get married right then. We got married even before my first release. The world kept telling me that if I get married, my fan following will decrease, especially among women. Many people discouraged me. But I had made up my mind.”

Talking about sticking to his decision, he further added, “When someone you love so much lets you step into the most unsafe profession from a wife’s point of view, it becomes your responsibility to respect her. I have always been clear and honest about my decisions. And I knew that even if I failed, she would never leave me. Yes, if my behaviour was wrong or I was not committed, she would definitely leave. That self-respect was there in Mana then, and it is there even today.”

Talking about his marriage, he said, “When we got married, marriage was a commitment. You took seven vows, and it was decided that you will stay together for seven lives. It may sound like a film dialogue, but it is not, it is the truth. As you grow older, you realise how much balance a good wife brings to your life, to the upbringing of your children. And you see it in your children (When we got married, marriage was a commitment. You took seven vows, and it was decided that you will stay together for seven lives. It may sound like a film dialogue, but it is not, it is the truth).”

In an old episode of The Ranveer Show, Suniel Shetty also revealed how he fell in love with Mana for the first time. “I fell in love with her the moment I saw her. But I was called a goon because I had a bike, long hair, that physique and women were around me all the time.” Talking about the lengths they would go to be with each other, he recalled:

“I would meet Mana at four in the morning on Christmas and New Year, but she never complained even once.

When we met, everything about her seemed so caring and 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 mother and I looked great together.” After nearly a decade of courtship, the couple got married on December 25, 1991. Their daughter, Athiya, was born the next year in 1992, followed by their son, Ahaan, in 1996.

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