Celebrities

Sania Saeed reflects on flawed women in Pakistani TV

For years, Pakistani prime-time television has often placed female characters into two narrow categories: the helpless, suffering victim or the manipulative woman blamed for breaking families.

Actor Sania Saeed recently discussed this issue with Aamna Haider Isani, reflecting on the limitations of Pakistani television, the tendency to underestimate audiences, and society’s discomfort with complex women who do not fit into simple moral labels.

Referring to the feminist poem We Sinful Women, Isani questioned why mainstream television remains hesitant to show women who exist in morally grey spaces.

Saeed, who is known for choosing roles that challenge stereotypes, praised writers such as Bee Gul for creating layered characters instead of predictable ones. She said Bee Gul does not write “straight” or overly simple characters.

A major part of the conversation focused on a common defence used by television channels: that they only produce what audiences want to see. Many in the industry argue that because people already face stress in daily life, they prefer light and uncomplicated dramas.

Saeed disagreed with this view, saying entertainment should not simply become background noise. She argued that when stories are made too simple, viewers lose the chance to emotionally and intellectually engage with them.

She said such storytelling creates characters that are so basic that a viewer can understand everything whether they watch the first episode, the fifth, or the eighth.

When asked whether simple stories could be justified because audiences are already under pressure, Saeed said people often remain trapped in stressful situations because they lack the awareness and language to understand what they are experiencing.

She also stressed the importance of directors who challenge formulaic storytelling. She credited directors such as Kashif Nisar and Mazhar Moin for helping maintain artistic honesty in a commercial television environment.

According to Saeed, even when scripts follow familiar patterns, sensitive directors and committed actors can still bring depth and truth to a scene.

The discussion also touched on wider social attitudes. Saeed said television often normalises oppressive ideas because many creators have themselves internalised those beliefs. She noted that this mindset exists among both male and female writers who continue to present the system as something unchangeable.

Saeed urged audiences to look at flawed characters with curiosity instead of immediate judgement. She argued that meaningful storytelling should reflect the complexity of human beings rather than only present perfect moral examples.

She said writers and producers must respect both the integrity of the story and the intelligence of the audience.

Ultimately, Sania Saeed’s message was that good storytelling trusts viewers instead of manipulating them through easy emotional formulas. She suggested that art works like a mirror, and if audiences refuse to understand flawed women on screen, they may also struggle to understand real women around them.

Up Next

Judges announced for the first season of ‘Pakistan’s Got Talent’

Don't Miss

Mamya Shajaffar, Arslan Butt settle dispute out of court

Deedar

Celebrities

Sanam Jung questions Karachi’s e-challan system after six traffic fines

Pakistani actor and television host Sanam Jung says she received six traffic e-challans within a month of returning to Pakistan, claiming that several were issued for violations she did not commit.

In an Instagram video, Sanam said the repeated fines had frustrated her family, particularly her father. She accepted responsibility for the first challan, which was issued for using a mobile phone while driving.

However, she disputed some of the later fines, including one for allegedly not wearing a seat belt. Sanam said fastening a seat belt had become a regular habit during her time abroad and insisted that she never begins driving without it.

Questioning the accuracy of the system, she expressed concern over being penalised for offences she says did not occur.

Celebrities

Tipu Sharif laments Karachi’s disappearing trees and shrinking green spaces

Actor Tipu Sharif has urged Karachi residents to plant more trees as rapid development continues to shrink the city’s green spaces.

Sharing an Instagram video of himself distributing plantation supplies, Sharif encouraged people to take part in tree-planting drives. He remarked that many graveyards now appear greener than residential areas and called for living spaces to be made equally green.

The actor warned that Karachi is losing trees at an alarming rate, leading to hotter streets, poorer air quality, less shade and fewer birds.

Referring to the monsoon season, Sharif said it presented the ideal opportunity to increase the city’s greenery. “The monsoon season is starting in Karachi. There’s no better time to start planting trees. I request you guys to fill Karachi’s roads, footpaths, and alleys. Please plant trees everywhere and increase greenery,” he said.

Highlighting the city’s rapid construction and property developments, the actor warned that continued deforestation could lead to serious environmental and health concerns. “In Karachi, there is not even two per cent of trees left and there’s construction and development happening. After a few years, we won’t even be able to breathe,” he stated.

Regarding his own efforts to combat the issue, Sharif shared that he had been distributing agricultural material across different parts of the city. “Today I am at the forestry nursery, taking 200 peepal trees to be planted in different areas, cemeteries, and places where greenery is lacking,” he said.

“Just think, people who have already passed away have greener surroundings in these cemeteries, while people living today don’t have clean air to breathe. Why is this?” the actor questioned.

Concluding his message, Sharif wrote, “Our one simple goal is to leave behind shade for people we’ll probably never meet. A tree planted today is a gift to future generations. Let’s stop turning Karachi into a concrete jungle and start bringing life back, one tree at a time.”

Sharif is known for his performances in dramas including Tapish, Humrahi, and Sitaron Se Agay. Along with advocating for environmental conservation, the actor also runs an advocacy page on Instagram addressing issues regarding animal abuse and sharing content about distributing food among the homeless.

Celebrities

Waqar Hussain’s Beautiful Gesture For Female Workers Win Hearts

Waqar Hussain is a celebrity makeup artist who has worked with many big names in the industry. He is also a versatile actor and his stint on Qudussi Sahab Ki Bewa is unmatched. He sat for a podcast and revealed a lesser known side of him. Fans are loving it and singing praises of him.

Waqar Hussain is also known for his bridal makeups. He makes the best brides in Pakistan but his greatness is not just limited to decorating brides. He revealed a great relationship that he shares with his female workers.

He shared that he has always treated his female workers as his own family. He has no daughter of his own but he has married off 10 girls who worked for him like his daughters. Mostly women do not continue to work after marriage but he is happy that he trained those women to have independent careers if they need it anytime.

The star is being applauded for his greatness. Babar Zaheer said, “You are great.” Another added, “So kind of you.” One said, “This is why Allah has blessed you.”