Mani (actor)
Mani | |
|---|---|
| Born | Salman Saqib Shaikh 22 March 1978 |
| Occupations | Actor, VJ, Host |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Spouse | [1] |
| Children | Muzammil and Ibrahim |
Salman Saqib Sheikh (Urdu: سلمان ثاقب شیخ), credited as Mani, is a Pakistani actor, politician and host. Mani is mostly known for his comic roles. He started his career as an anchor and roadshow host before becoming a sitcom and comedy actor.
He is known for his roles in Meri Teri Kahani, Bandish and the telefilm Dil Toh Bacha Hai.[2][3][4]
Early life
Mani was born on 22 March 1977 and was raised in a locality of Gulshan-e-Iqbal[5] in Karachi. During an interview with Samina Peerzada, Mani explains that despite his father Saquib Sheikh and elder sister Ayesha Mirza being actors, he was interested in sports during his early years and did not think to venture into television. His initial interest grew after a minor appearance in theatre, with the theatre group Katha stars Sania Saeed and Nadia Jamil.
Career
Early career as actor and scriptwriter
He started his career in television as a junior anchor and host before becoming an actor. He wrote scripts for Fakhar-e-Alam's show Boom Boom Bastic which aired on PTV.[6] In the early 2000s, he also worked on various shows, including Sarak Chapp, which aired on Geo TV and ATV. Mani among Azfar Ali also created the Azfar Mani Show on AAG TV.[7] The show experienced significant growth within the community and among the general public. This airing made them popular among Pakistani TV channels.
Mani also participated in campaigns run by Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital [8] which experienced a great turnout due to his popularity in Pakistan at the time. He was also cast in various commercials and campaigns for Pepsi, Tepal, Ufone, and Mobilink.
Host
In 2001, he hosted the first ever Road Show in Pakistan's Television history called Streets. Aired on Indus Vision, the show conducted street interviews on contemporary issues. He was one of the first to introduce Road Shows to Pakistan, succeeding commercially due to its authentic nature. He also hosted two other road shows called Road Romeo and Sarrak Chhap aired on ATV and Geo TV respectively.
Mani is also known as the pioneer of roadshows. He was a part of what is now known as the golden era of Pakistani Television. Mani was a part of the show Sub Set Hai including himself, Adnan Shah Tipu, Salma Hassan, and Azfar Ali. The show was met with great audience reception throughout the Indian subcontinent. Mani had been part of various music channels, such as Indus Music and The Music.
A similar show Ulta Seedha, penned by Faisal Qureshi, co-hosted by Mani, was also aired on Geo TV. Mani then hosted the first talk show Casual for newly founded Hum TV in 2006. Hira and Mani started the show at Hum TV, specifically the Hum 2 Humara Show. Both of them served as the show's hosts. They upheld their reputation as an ideal couple, receiving widespread affection from the audience. The show aired for about three years, during which time different actors and actresses came together on the TV show.
Production
Mani produced a sports show Champions on ARY Digital. He also produced sitcoms Zerooos and Khala Surayya aired on Geo TV.[9][10]
Politics
Besides being an actor, Mani is also very active in politics.[11] He actively supported Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and attended several processions[12] across Pakistan[13] before joining the Pak Sarzameen Party in 2018.[14] He and his wife, Hira Mani, have criticized Imran Khan and Altaf Hussain on several occasions.[15] He also participated in the polio campaign for UNICEF.
Personal life
He married fellow actress Hira Salman in 2008. Hira Salman, commonly known as Hira Mani, in her interview at Speak Your Heart With Samina Peerzada on 19 Oct 2018 [1] explained how she met Mani. She had secretly gotten Mani's phone number from his then girlfriend and phoned him under the alias of Mariam. During this time she was engaged to a Banker in Dubai whom she later left to be with Mani.[16][17] Their marriage ceremony took place on 18 April 2008. They frequently work together in most of their projects after marriage.[1][18][19] together they have two sons: Muzammil (born in 2009) and Ibrahim (born in 2014).[20][21][22]
Television
As host
| Year | Title | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Streets | Indus Vision | Pakistan's first Road Show |
| 2001 | Mani Says | Indus Music | Pakistan's first trolling show |
| 2002 | Road Romeo | ATV | |
| Sarak Chaap | Geo TV | ||
| 2006 | Mani-Ism | ARY Musik | |
| 2007 | Casual | Hum TV | Political satire |
| 2007 | Azfar Mani Show | Aag TV | |
| 2007 | Champions | Sports Show | |
| 2008 | Hero Ya Zero | Hum TV | Game show |
| 2010 | Hum 2 Humara Show | Hum TV | [23] |
| 2011 | Hira Mani Show | AAG TV | [23] |
As producer
| Year | Title | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Sub Set Hai | Sitcom | |
| 2010 | Khala Surayya | ||
| 2010 | Zerooos | Hum TV | Sitcom |
| 2013 | Shilae Maseen | Geo TV | Telefilm |
As actor
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Mera Ghar Aik Whirpool | Writer | |
| 2001 | Sub Set Hai | Bobby | [24] |
| 2001 | Kollege Jeans | ||
| 2003 | Ulta Seedha | Ilyas Soomro | Serial with Faisal Qureshi |
| 2008 | Ab Set Hai | Bobby | Writer |
| 2010 | Khala Surayya | ||
| 2010 | Zerooos | Meenu | Sitcom |
| 2013 | Shilae Maseen | Telefilm | |
| Meri Teri Kahani | Mani | Inspired by American series Curb Your Enthusiasm | |
| Hum Sab Ajeeb Se Hain | Behtreen friend; International | ||
| 2014 | Firaaq | ||
| Jab We Wed | |||
| 2015 | Mr. Shamim | ||
| 2017 | Lollipop | ||
| Yaqeen Ka Safar | Haroon | ||
| 2019 | Bandish | Dr. Abhiyaan | |
| Dil Toh Bacha Hai | Telefilm[25] | ||
| 2021 | Chupke Chupke | Mani | Ramadan special |
| 2023 | Teray Aany Se | Ayaz Mamoo | |
| 2024 | Tere Mere Sapany | Sikandar Mamu | Ramadan special show on Geo News |
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | The Donkey King | Rangeela | Animated film[26] |
| 2022 | Ishrat Made in China | Naushad/ Chunke | [27] |
| Lafangey | Security guard | [28] | |
| 2023 | Money Back Guarantee | G.A. Muhajir | [29] |
| Babylicious | [30] | ||
| Teri Meri Kahaniyaan | Shahanshah |
References
- ^ a b "Hira Mani stole Mani from her friend, broke off her own engagement for him". Daily Pakistan. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
- ^ "Mani jokes about his 'first' marriage in an interview". The Express Tribune.
- ^ "Mani clarifies stance over controversial #MeToo comments | Pakistan Today". www.pakistantoday.com.pk. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
- ^ Khan, Sheeba (2 February 2019). "Review: This black magic TV drama is a Pakistani horror fan's delight". DAWN. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
- ^ "Gulshan-e-Iqbal". Wikipedia. Wikipedia. 9 March 2024.
- ^ "Mani On Rewind With Samina Peerzada | Part I".
- ^ AAG TV
- ^ Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital
- ^ "Mani On Rewind With Samina Peerzada | Part II".
- ^ "Mani makes new accounts on social media to bully politicians". The Express Tribune. 8 July 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
- ^ "Mani shares hilarious ideas up his sleeve to save Pakistan". Daily Pakistan Global. 25 July 2022. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
- ^ Web Desk (12 December 2020). "Politics affected my acting career - Mani". Behtareen. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
- ^ "Hand Pakistan over to Imran Khan: Mani". Daily Times. 26 July 2022. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
- ^ "Pak Sarzameen Party welcomes new entrants". Daily Times. 9 July 2018. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
- ^ "Hira Mani takes a jab at PM Imran Khan, saying he should allow people to worry". www.geo.tv. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
- ^ "I give my all to reach my wife's acting level: Mani". The Express Tribune. 12 December 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
- ^ RAVA Entertainment (28 November 2020). Mani | HIRA aur MERA comparison hee nahy hai | Exclusive interview | Part 04 of 04. Retrieved 12 February 2026 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Hira Mani gives success credit to husband Salman Sheikh". Dunya News. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
- ^ "I'm proud to be labelled as 'Mani's wife': Hira Mani". The Express Tribune. 4 March 2018. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
- ^ "Syeda Hira Salman (@hiramaniofficial) • Instagram photos and videos". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
- ^ "My purpose is to act, no matter what the medium is: Hira". Daily Times. 17 August 2019. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
- ^ "Yaqeen Ka Safar is honest and original, and has changed the paradigm of Pakistani dramas". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
- ^ a b Ahmad, Fouzia Nasir (2 September 2018). "If I wasn't multitasking as a mum and wife, I'd consider all actors as cut-throat competition: Hira Mani". DAWN. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
- ^ "'Sub Set Hai' returning for a sequel called 'Mid Life'". Express Tribune. 5 February 2020. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
- ^ Haq, Irfan Ul (20 May 2019). "Hira and Mani are romancing on-screen yet again in an upcoming Eid telefilm". DAWN. Retrieved 2 June 2019.
- ^ "The Donkey King: An epitome of quality, comedy and democracy". Retrieved 19 January 2020.
- ^ "First look for Mohib Mirza's 'Ishrat Made in China' is finally out". 24newshd.
- ^ Haq, Irfan Ul (13 January 2022). "Mani will soon be seen on cinema screens in horror-comedy film Lafangey". Images. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
- ^ "Shooting of Money Back Guarantee finished, confirms Gohar Rasheed". The News International (newspaper). 27 January 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
- ^ "'Babylicious' trailer: A must-watch for the hopeless romantics". The Express Tribune. 11 January 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2023.