No relationship is more sacred than that of a mother and child. Mother and daughter duos can also be fierce...
No relationship is more sacred than that of a mother and child. Mother and daughter duos can also be fierce and powerful that could ultimately take over the world. This Mother’s Day, You! features some of our favourite celebrity mom-daughter duos and what they feel about their eternal bond. Read on...
Huma & Parishay Adnan
“My daughter works with our company and has earned every bit of it. She’s in the learning stage and it’s her first project as a young CEO. She’s still getting the hang of it,” explains Huma Adnan. When asked about her daughter’s childhood, Huma had some fond memories to share. “As a child, she was the most spoilt as she is the first born. She would rule the whole household and act like a boss,” she tells.
“I have always had the support system of my family, my mother-in-law and my mother who really helped me in taking care of the kids, so it was not that difficult. There was always time to juggle the two roles and yes at time one role was bigger of the challenge,” Huma mentions while discussing work and family. “As far as parenting is concerned, I am happy and satisfied with how I raised my kids. I wouldn’t want to change anything.”
Speaking to her daughter, Parishay Adnan, her mother has always been an inspiration. “I’ve always looked up to her for being the strong independent female influence in my life,” shares Parishay. “As far as the similarity between me and my mother in careers is concerned, I don’t feel like I’ve made it yet but I know personality wise she’s very different. We place emphasis on different things for example I’m a lot more level headed and data driven where as she has more passion and is a lot more creative. Although, we’re both stubborn. We stick to what we believe in and that’s all,” she adds.
About her favourite memory with her mother, Parishay recalls, “I remember hiding behind her when I was a child. And sometimes when I get overwhelmed even now I think about doing that because on some level I know that she’s my biggest support system and like my armour.”
Saba Hameed & Meesha Shafi
Veteran actor, Saba Hameed, has reigned over the Pakistani television industry for almost four decades and proved her mettle with many television serials, movies and sitcoms. She is best known for her work in ‘Ek Tamanna Lahasil Si’ and the 1990s famous sitcom ‘Family Front’. Her versatility in the acting world is well-known so it comes as no surprise that those good genes were passed on to her daughter, Meesha Shafi who debuted as a model at age 17. Shafi has garnered huge success as a singer in the band ‘Overload’ and her breakthrough performances in Coke Studio. While Meesha carved her own path and gained success on her merit, she has been in awe of her mother’s work since a child, “Though I was a very little child when I first saw it, the story [‘Mama Seemi’] really touched me,” says Meesha in an interview. “The way she translated it (the role) into herself... left an impression on my really young mind.” The two women are known to be stubborn when it comes to work and taking a stand, “I have learnt it from her to speak up when I should or when someone is being wronged, or see things happening when they shouldn’t,” she shares. In an interview with HSY, the duo shared some of their favourite memories where they talked about their close bond with not only each other but with her extended family. In terms of parenting, Saba preferred conversations with her children rather than enforcing her ideas, “We are not just mother and daughter, we are also friends and colleagues,” she adds.
Reese Witherspoon & Ava Philippe
The striking resemblance between Reese and her 18-year-old daughter Ava can have anyone assume them for twins. While Witherspoon enjoys a successful career and has been the recipient of several awards, her daughter is just starting out. Ava formally made her modelling debut for ‘Rodarte’ and became the face for ‘Draper James’, a clothing and lifestyle line started by her mom. The duo recently modelled together for its Spring 2018 collection and they look awfully adorable together.
Speaking about her daughter, Witherspoon said in an interview, “I think the way Ava and I are most alike is our strong opinions and our empathy. From the time that she could speak, Ava has always had her own ideas, and I love to watch her express herself. She also cares deeply about her family and the world around her.” She also gushed about her relationship with Ava and the strong bond they share, “There is nothing like the love I have for my daughter. We share every emotion with each other, our hopes, and dreams... We can talk for hours!”
A gifted sketch artist and a photographer, Ava is inspired by her superstar mom but is keen on developing her own sense of style and path, “The best thing about how my mom has influenced my style is that, while I do take her advice, it’s still my own. She and I agree on a lot of what’s ‘fashionable,’ but we have different taste, and she’s really respectful of my personality as I express it through clothes.”
Bushra & Meera Ansari
Bushra Ansari is an actress, writer, a Pakistani television actress, presenter and comedian. She started many of her activities since her childhood in 1960s and had remained a major TV personality for over four decades. Additionally, her husband has also been a seasoned drama director for Pakistan Television. Both the parents gave their daughter, Meera Ansari, a very cherishing environment for building her personality. This is the reason why Meera also pursued a career in media and was received well by the public.
Meera, who was born on September 10th, spent her early life in Karachi. While she was in her childhood, she loved art, i.e., specifically painting, and drawing. She took admission at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture, and earned her degree from there. Later in her life, she also tried her luck in modelling and acting, and gained much recognition. Moreover, she had an innate attachment with keeping pets and poetry writing. Following her mother’s steps, today she is a celebrated artist who made her career in art, fashion and modelling.
Meryl Streep & Mamie Gummer
Meryl Streep is a queen. There is absolutely no denying that. Moreover, she’s talented, intelligent, graceful and a beautiful actress. Now, imagine being her child. Meryl is the mom to three girls, and one boy. In addition, her children are equally beautiful as her. Her daughters Mamie Gummer and Grace Gummer are both actresses. Meryl’s other daughter, Louisa Gummer, is a model. But her eldest daughter Mamie has a larger share of on-screen chemistry with her mother which makes it seem like acting for this duo just runs in the family.
Meryl Streep and Mamie portrayed mother and daughter in ‘Ricki and the Flash’. During ‘Ricki’s’ premiere, Gummer admitted to a renowned publication that she was nervous during certain scenes because she didn’t want to hurt her mom’s feelings. “There’s this one scene where I really was quite eviscerating and I was worried about if my words actually wounded her, but after the first take, I looked over and she just had this big grin on her face, so that was a pleasant surprise,” stated Mamie.
While talking about her daughter, Streep once shared, “When she was ten she was extremely bossy - I don’t know where she gets it. She would organise her sisters and the neighbourhood children into plays. Those children would play little animals usually and she would be the queen and her sisters would be ladies in waiting.”
Masarrat & Redah Misbah
Masarrat Misbah has been in the field of beauty for almost four decades. She has managed to set up a makeup empire in Pakistan while also being a full-time mom. In a candid conversation, she gushed about her daughter and her accomplishments, “As a child, Redah was quiet but very mischievous at times, but I can’t put into words how proud I am of her.”
Being an ambitious working mom, Masarrat accredits her family for supporting her, “I had an amazing support system. I wouldn’t have been able to achieve as much as I have if it weren’t for them, whether it was personal or professional. This is why I never had to choose between my career and motherhood.”
Taking after her mother, Redah Misbah, went on to study ‘Cosmetology’ from London and ‘Special Effects Makeup’ from US. Currently she is the director of Depilex Group and actively works alongside her mom for their makeup line. “She was a single parent and she wanted to stand up on her own feet. Not only did she fight all norms and made an empire out of a single salon but she empowered women around her from the beginning. She is a great mom and one of my most cherished memories was from when my daughter was born and she supported me in every way possible,” shares Redah.
There is no denying that this mother-daughter duo shares a really special bond, so we wanted to know what was in store for them this Mother’s Day, “Every bit of time spent together is my favourite. I always tell her this but I feel it’s really never enough to say that she is an amazing mother and grandmother and we love her very much. So, this year, we will spend the day with the family and have a little surprise made my children and I for Ama.”
Jugnu Mohsin & Mira Sethi
Co-founder and editor of a newsweekly, Jugnu Mohsin studied law at University of Cambridge and later went on to become a progressive commentator. Having married journalist Najam Sethi, Mohsin has raised two very talented children, one of whom is Mira Sethi - a writer, actress and model. With both her parents being writers, Mira worked at ‘The Wall Street Journal’ but pursued acting after her bachelors. While making a mark as an actress and a model, she continues to write short fictions for big publishing giants. “I’d always wanted to act. Writing was something I could always do in my own time, but I needed an institutional outlet for acting. I’m an artist; being an heiress of a print empire doesn’t interest me as a career-end,” she shares in an interview.
Recently, this duo teamed up to be the face of a clothing line launched by a budding designer. This was the first time Mira posed for the camera with her mother, Jugnu, and one witnessed some adorable moments being captured. “I had received the pictures of the clothes on my phone and I showed Ammi some of them and she told me she quite liked them. Since we hadn’t collaborated before, I asked her because I knew it would’ve been a fun memory and she agreed,” shares Mira.
With a learned mother like Jugnu, Mira is grateful that her mother taught her their regional language and has even inherited the art of mimicry from her. Mira has done quite a few parody stints for which she garnered a lot of attention. “We’re all mimics in the family, and the coin of communication in our extended family is often humour, parody, satire.” she enthuses.
