Actor Farhan Saeed has spoken about the emotional strain of portraying Anas in Bas Tera Saath Ho, disclosing that the very strong viewer reactions to his role started influencing his own mood and behaviour.
At a recent meet-and-greet and media interaction for the drama, Saeed addressed the response to the series and the criticism aimed at Anas. He stated that the continuous online bullying of his character grew so severe that those around him observed a shift in his behaviour.
“The drama itself has turned into a drama. People close to me also told me that I became very irritated due to the constant bullying,” Saeed said. He added, “I also suffered trauma from playing this character, myself.”
The drama, now in its very final week, features Saeed alongside Sana Javed. Saeed portrays Anas, an orphan whose life is upended when he learns that all the relatives who raised him have been manipulating and exploiting him while scheming over his own family property.
After meeting Ansa, portrayed by Javed, Anas reveals the difficulties he has suffered. The two slowly develop a deep connection, even though Anas still keeps hiding certain portions of his own past and many ongoing personal battles.
The role has split viewers, with certain people criticising the story’s pacing and direction, while others have supported the choice to show a male lead who is very vulnerable rather than so traditionally heroic.
One loyal supporter defended the character, noting that Saeed’s performance was very powerful and that every drama simply need not include a “fake hero” who abruptly transforms completely overnight. This particular viewer maintained that the story really was instead about “sharing and understanding”.
