​In a heartwarming conversation, Suniel Shetty opened up about his wife Mana, whom he married after a long wait owing to opposition from his family. “They didn’t want anything outside of the family. And they believed, different cultures won’t fit in,” he spoke about Mana, who converted to Hinduism from Islam on her marriage to Suniel in 1991.. Recollecting his father’s first meeting with Mana, Suniel said it was not pre-planned. “Once Mana came to drop me at the airport for my first film, as I was going away for 60 days. I never expected Dad to come and drop me off, too. He says, I am coming to the airport to drop you off! I had already committed to Mana. And then he met me. Saw me. He saw her. He went and spoke to her… took her home, and that was the day… and I think 60 days after that… she had to go home and spend time with him every day. So, somewhere it’s the father who understands.”. Suniel Shetty and Mana Shetty (Photo: Express Archives). Expressing opposition from his side of the family, Suniel shared that he had a close relationship with her parents. “For 9 years they said, you won’t be happy, she won’t be happy…We never discussed it. They said no. But I was very clear about one thing…if you want me to marry someone else, it’s not going to be possible because I don’t want to destroy two lives, including my own. I won’t get married. As a guy, for me, it was still okay. Tough for her because her parents had accepted me. Her mother and I were a house on fire. I learned so much in life from that lady – the art of giving, the art of living, CSR, public, and working with people. She’s the one who taught me everything.”. So, what changed? “Time is the biggest healer. My parents saw the fact that their son was sincere; they didn’t know if it would last with her, but when they realised that a girl had given up everything for their son, what better partner could they look for? I wasn’t doing anything to them. I said, I won’t get married. Neither of us will get married. So, we are not hurting you at all. I believed in her completely,” shared Suniel in a conversation with Raj Shamani on his podcast.. Describing Mana’s qualities, Suniel shared that she has always been about “giving”. “She was only giving, and even today, she is only about giving. I don’t bother about anything in the house. For even minute things, right from whether my nails have been cut or my toothpaste is over, or my brush needs a change, she’s aware of it. It’s unbelievable. It’s insane. And she was like that, that time also. Not only me…whether it is Ahaan, Athiya, whether it is my mom or dad…dad and she were a house on fire… she is like a child, back then she was like a child…she is very expressive….we come from a family which is reserved…she is very physical…so she became physical with dad, mom, the chirpiness, the energy of hers, spontaneously responding, appreciating everything, i think probably