Seema Pahwa says she and Manoj gave their children 'privacy, space'
Mumbai, June 25
Acclaimed stars Seema Pahwa and her husband Manoj Pahwa, who will soon be seen sharing screen space in Perfect Family, have talked about parenting, family, and the lessons they have learned over nearly four decades of marriage.
Speaking about raising children while balancing demanding careers, the couple shared their views on parenting.
Talking about raising children as a couple, Seema said in a statement: "We never decided how we want to raise our kids. There was an unsaid understanding between Manoj and I, on giving our children their privacy and space. We just decided to be the support they needed in decisions of career, marriage and any important aspect of life."
Starring as Kamla and Somnath Karkaria, the real-life couple portray the heads of a family grappling with interpersonal conflicts, generational differences, and the pressures of maintaining the image of a perfect family.
Manoj shared his take on parenting and the mistakes many parents tend to make.
He said, "We should remove the burden of parenting from us. As parents, we need to work on ourselves to be better human beings than teaching the kids. The kids learn from what they see and the environment they grow up in.
"The main problem of parenting is what we preach to our kids and what our actions are. The sheer contradiction in our words and actions confuses the kids in most cases. Our show, Perfect Family, accurately talks about this."
The actor added: "We all are products of dysfunctional families, and this series shows the need to be a good human before being a parent."
Speaking about the pressure of maintaining the image of a perfect family, Seema said that the moment a tag is put to anything, it puts a "lot of pressure on us".
"There is no formula for making a family perfect. We can work on ourselves and try to make a better family. However, there is no surety," she said.
After portraying Somnath, a traditional father figure in the series, Manoj Pahwa reflected on how fatherhood has changed across generations.
He said: "Fathers of today's generation have started listening to their kids while giving them enough space. In our generation we hardly spoke to our fathers, but now it's changed, and it's changed for good."
"One quality from the older generation that I liked was fathers knew everything about their kids, who the friends are, and who they are hanging with. Unfortunately, with the fast-paced life today they don't have so much time to give."
Created by Palak Bhambri and directed by Sachin Pathak, Perfect Family also stars Neha Dhupia, Girija Oak Godbole, Gulshan Devaiah, and Kaveri Seth.
Perfect Family streams exclusively on Sony LIV from June 26.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Finally some Bollywood parents talking sense! Most star kids get everything handed to them. But Seema and Manoj seem genuinely grounded. Their point about being better humans first is something every Indian parent should read. Parents should stop treating their kids like their property.
Interesting perspective from a Bollywood couple. While I agree with giving children privacy, I wonder if that works in all Indian households where families live together. In Western countries we also struggle with this balance. But Manoj is right - being a good human comes before being a parent.
Good points but I have one respectful disagreement. Seema ji says there's no formula for perfect family. While that's true, in Indian context, some old-school values about respect and responsibility should still be passed on. Today's kids get too much space and lose touch with family traditions. 😕
Love how Seema and Manoj complement each other! Their philosophy of unsaid understanding is so beautiful. In India, we often yell and argue about parenting, but they show us it can be done with grace. Definitely going to watch Perfect Family on Sony LIV!
As an NRI, this resonates deeply. In India, the 'perfect family' pressure is real. Seema is absolutely right - that tag creates unnecessary stress. Manoj's point about fathers listening more now is true for modern families. But sadly, many traditional Indian dads still see privacy as disrespect. 🤷
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.