(RAHNUMA) HYDERABAD In a city where history is never far from the surface, it is often easy to mistake inheritance for achievement. Hyderabad is filled with reminders of illustrious families, fading palaces, old titles and stories of a bygone age. Yet the city’s most enduring contributions continue to come not from ancestry alone, but from those who find ways to connect tradition with contemporary life.
Among them are Faheem-ul-Haq and Shazia Saleem, a husband-and-wife team whose growing public presence has made them familiar figures to many Hyderabadis. Through counselling, education, storytelling, community engagement and cultural advocacy, the couple have built a reputation not simply as content creators or professionals, but as communicators seeking to address the social realities of modern urban life while remaining grounded in the values and traditions that have shaped the city for generations.
Over the past decade, Shazia Saleem has established herself as a respected counselling psychologist, working with individuals, couples and families across a wide range of personal and emotional challenges. At a time when conversations surrounding mental health remain difficult in many communities, her work has focused on making psychological wellbeing a subject that can be discussed openly, practically and without stigma.
“People often believe strength means enduring difficulties in silence,” she observed while speaking with our reporter. “In reality, strength begins when we allow ourselves to seek help, reflect honestly and grow.”
Through workshops, counselling sessions, educational programmes and public outreach, Saleem has contributed to a broader shift in attitudes toward mental health, particularly among younger generations navigating the pressures of contemporary life.
Alongside her, Faheem-ul-Haq has developed a distinctive public profile of his own. A storyteller, actor, educator and communicator, he has used both traditional and digital platforms to engage audiences on subjects ranging from personal development and family life to entrepreneurship and social responsibility. His ability to translate complex ideas into relatable conversations has earned him a following that extends well beyond Hyderabad.
“Information alone rarely changes people,” he told us. “Stories do. People remember stories because they see themselves in them.”
Together, the couple have created a platform that reflects a broader philosophy: that meaningful social change often begins with conversation. Whether discussing relationships, parenting, emotional wellbeing or community life, their work consistently returns to a central theme—the importance of strengthening the social fabric through education, understanding and personal responsibility.
That commitment extends beyond their professional pursuits. Both have been involved in initiatives aimed at preserving and celebrating Hyderabad’s unique cultural identity, including efforts to promote the artistic, culinary and historical traditions of the Deccan. Their association with projects such as Souq-e-Deccan reflects an interest not merely in preserving heritage as nostalgia, but in presenting it as a living tradition relevant to contemporary audiences.
Friends and associates often describe the couple as individuals who are equally comfortable discussing modern social challenges as they are speaking about the history and culture of the city they call home. It is perhaps this balance between continuity and change that has resonated with so many people.
Their own family histories, while notable, are not the centrepiece of their story. They provide context rather than definition.
Shazia Saleem traces her ancestry to the distinguished Hyderabadi household of Nawab Ghalib Jang Ghalib-ul-Mulk Laiq-ud-Daula, one of the prominent nobles of the Asaf Jahi era, remembered for his patronage of learning, technology and the arts. Faheem-ul-Haq descends from the family of Khan Bahadur Sheikh Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq Rajopuri, a respected public figure and community leader from Rajopur in the former United Provinces.
Yet those who know the couple are more likely to speak of their work than their lineage.
In many ways, their story reflects a broader transformation taking place across Hyderabad itself—a city increasingly defined not only by what it has inherited, but by what it continues to create. While heritage may provide a foundation, relevance must be earned anew by every generation.
For Faheem-ul-Haq and Shazia Saleem, that relevance is being built through service, education, public engagement and a sustained commitment to community life.
