May 08, 2008

How do celebrities rate as moms? Let’s ask their children.

More and more mothers are juggling lives these days — running a home, taking care of their kids, and excelling in their profession as well.

And if the profession happens to be a high profile one, the pressure builds up even more. ‘Celebrity moms’ — known far and wide for their high-profile achievements and their subsequent ‘star’ status, are revered by their fans, but what do their offspring feel about them?

The Review speaks to the children of a few of these personalities, to gauge how they view their mom’s celebrity status and if they recall any particular sacrifice their mother had to make, to bring them up like ‘normal’ children.

A candid assessment of the impact his mother’s ‘celebrity status’ has had on his life was made by 12-year old Turan, son of ex-model, choreographer, event manager and style consultant, Freiha Altaf. He says, “I feel very happy for her, but I only get to see her 15 minutes in a day, so we barely meet.”

When asked, however, if he would rather she were not in such a high-profile profession which requires her to travel frequently and be always on the go, whether for professional reasons or social, he replies, “I think I’m 50-50 on that. I’m not sure if I would rather she was doing something else. I feel great that she’s a celebrity.”

He has a sweet message for her though, on the occasion of Mother’s Day: “You’re the best thing in my life. I would search the world for you. I love you.”

A refreshing view was presented by 15-year old Zahshanne, daughter of Shaiyanne Malik, who made her entry into the world of glitz and glamour through acting, but later established herself as a fashion designer. One of the few designers to be holding road shows throughout the world, it was intriguing to discover how her daughter viewed her mother’s busy, glamorous life.

Says Zahshanne, quite simply, “I don’t know — I don’t see her as a celebrity! I don’t find any difference between her and the other moms. Sure, she’s missed occasions like our birthday parties, but she’s always made up for them, so it’s no big deal! My message for her is that I love her — and want her to stop tutoring me for my exams!!”

Eight-year-old Minahil, daughter of Momina Duraid, CEO of Moomal Productions and award winning producer of TV plays feels, “Very nice about the fact that mom is such an important person.” She adds, “She gives us a lot of time, even though she has a job. There are times when we reach late — like for swimming — because of her, but I love her for taking out that time, even when she has a lot of work.”

Shahbaz Ali Baig, son of renowned television and radio compere, Khushbakht Shujaat, aptly describes his life growing up with a celebrity mother. He says, “It was both a good and bad thing — it was like growing up in a fish bowl. We had to maintain a certain standard because of our stock! I remember my Urdu teacher used to tell me I was “A ‘chirag talay andhera’ (darkness under light)”. But, I have, nonetheless, always been very, very proud of her. It was like having an institution in the house that I could look up to, and I feel blessed that I have such a mother.”

Talking about the sacrifice his mother had to make, juggling her various roles, he says, “The sacrifices she made were good for her in the long run. We lived in a joint family system, and she was careful to maintain a balance between her work and her family obligations. Hence, she did only selected programmes and did sacrifice some opportunities that came her way.”

Shahbaz’s message for his mom on Mother’s Day is, “Keep on doing what you are doing, as you do everything from the heart. I’m with you every step of the way.”

Meera Ansari, daughter of Bushra Ansari, is another person who has taken her mother’s celebrity status in her stride. She says, “We were brought up being in the limelight, and knew no other life since we were tots. But, still, as far as we are concerned, she’s been more of a mother than a celebrity. She has set a great example of being a mother and shown us that it is possible to maintain a family, career and home. She used to drop us and pick us up from school, and we were never over-indulged by her.”

Meera’s message for her mom is, “Happy Mother’s Day. Thank you for teaching us — whether consciously or unconsciously — the right way, and for setting an example of being a great woman.”

Tina Sani’s 11-year-old son, Nasir Siddiqui, says he feels very privileged being his mother’s son. He says, “Most of the time, she’s not busy, and is there for me.”

Tina Sani travels twice a month for a concert, and Nasir says if he doesn’t have too much study pressure, he goes along with her. However, he does admit that there are the occasional times when she may have to go out of the city to perform, and has to meanwhile, sacrifice some family engagement — like she had to miss his school concert because she had a performance in Lahore. His message for his mom: “I love you and you’re the best!”

Bunto Kazmi has been an icon in the fashion industry for a number of years now. Her son, Aly Kazmi, says he never looked at her as a celebrity since she kept her work and her family life completely separate, and spent time making him do his homework, etc. He does mention there were definite advantages to  being her son. “In my teenage years, all the girls would flock around me, when they’d find out I was Bunto Kazmi’s son!” says he, gleefully.

Aly adds, “I’ve always been very happy for her and proud of her, but never overawed by her. Sure, sometimes, her blood pressure level would go up, and the best thing to do then, would be to keep out of her way. I love her and she’s the best.”

Young Azaan, son of Zeba Bakhtiar, is another offspring who doesn’t feel his mother is a celebrity. “She never  let’s being who she is overshadow our relationship. I feel very proud of all that she’s accomplished in her life, and the effort she has put into making her name in the world,” he says confidently.

Azaan feels that his mother has kept her work life separate from her home life, and while she may have had to make some sacrifices at work to balance the two, she has never sacrificed time with him. “Always be happy, and never forget that I love you,” is his message for his mother.

It seems that our celebrity moms have managed to do a pretty good job balancing their family lives and glamorous careers. So, the next time someone says it’s impossible to juggle the two, they should ask the stars!