‘Two kids more than enough’

Mariyam Nafees talks parenthood and has this advice for showbiz stars

Mariyam Nafees may have entered motherhood for the first time in March with the birth of her son Isa, but the actor already knows how many children would be the perfect number for her: two.

“You should have a total of two kids!” declared the Ishq Jalebi actor during a recent appearance on Hasna Mana Hai. Tongue in cheek, she added, “You’re automatically raising your husband raising your husband — he’s already a kid! But other than that, two kids are enough — a boy and a girl.”

Working as a team

Mariyam and filmmaker husband Amaan Ahmed took to Instagram in March to announce that their long awaited baby boy had arrived safely. Mariyam had previously spoken publicly about her pregnancy and documented her milestones on Instagram for her followers to enjoy.

Jokes aside, Mariyam hinted that Amaan may not be as much of a manchild as she may have earlier implied when she spoke fondly of how well aligned the couple are when it comes to raising their son. For example, the couple’s Karachi home may be without the support of an extended family network in the vicinity, but Mariyam pointed out that a supportive husband has the power to smoothen the challenges of parenting.

“Of course it is easier when you have grandparents around, but if your partner is helpful — if your husband is there for you — then you can easily manage everything,” she observed. Working in sync with her husband as they navigate parenting together, Mariyam thus has no qualms about who their son will take after, in either looks or temperament.

“Both of us are very morally correct!” she pointed out. “And as for looks, I don’t mind which one of us he grows up to resemble, although right now, people do say that he looks like Amaan.”

Mariyam’s confidence as a new parent is evident in her social media posts; earlier this month, the star took to Instagram Stories in a bid to uplift her fellow mothers.

“Mommas — listen to everyone, but do whatever you want,” instructed the Neem actor underneath a screenshot of a recent parenting post shared on the Pakistan’s women-only Facebook group, Soul Sisters.

“You know what’s best for your child,” continued Mariyam. “You’re the mother. You’re God-gifted when it comes to instincts. You do what you feel is right!”

Advice for stars

Mariyam may have taken a break from acting to focus on her son, but that, of course, does not mean that she has forgotten what it is like to be behind the camera. Looking back on her television credentials, the actor maintains that her toughest role to date has been playing the role of Khajista (friend to Sajal Ali’s character Zubiya) in the 2017 drama Yaqeen Ka Safar.

“Khajista was a domestic abuse victim, and that was really difficult,” she recalled. “It was emotionally very challenging, especially with all the physical abuse she also went through.”

Despite having stepped away from the drama industry for now, Mariyam remains aware of showbiz’s biggest stars of today, as well as what their full potential might be. When it comes to Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum actor and producer Fahad Mustafa, for example, Mariyam noted that she would “like to see him produce films”.

“It’s something he has said himself,” added Mariyam. “He’s doing great when he’s producing dramas — he’s got great content and amazing scripts.”