Priya Mani Raj, known professionally as Priyamani, has earned widespread acclaim for her performances across Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi, and Kannada cinema. The 40-year-old actress is a National Film Award winner and has also garnered three Filmfare Awards South. Among her most notable roles is her portrayal of Suchitra Tiwari in the popular thriller series The Family Man, where she starred alongside Manoj Bajpayee. Her nuanced performance in the series left a lasting impression on audiences over two seasons.
Despite her success in the entertainment industry, Priyamani has faced significant backlash on social media due to her personal life. After news broke about her relationship with longtime boyfriend Mustafa Raj, the couple became the target of online trolls. Following their engagement in 2016, Priyamani revealed that the attacks intensified, with trolls even targeting their future children.
In a candid interview with Filmfare, Priyamani opened up about how a joyful moment turned sour. She recalled the excitement of announcing her engagement to Mustafa on Facebook, only to be met with hateful messages. “People were texting me, saying, ‘Jihad, Muslim, your kids are going to be terrorists,’” she said, revealing the hurtful and baseless accusations they faced. The experience left an emotional impact on her, as she reflected on the broader issue of intolerance toward interfaith couples. “It’s disheartening. Why target a single inter-caste couple? There are many top actors who have married outside their caste or religion. They just fell in love with someone irrespective of their religion,” Priyamani added, expressing her confusion over the hate.
Priyamani and Mustafa Raj’s love story began at an IPL match in Bengaluru, where she was the brand ambassador, and he was part of the event management team. Their connection quickly blossomed into a romantic relationship. After dating for a couple of years, they got engaged in 2016. Mustafa made the engagement even more memorable by proposing to Priyamani during the finale of D for Dance, a show where she served as a judge.
