Pakistani actor Sahar Hashmi has spoken about the criticism she received over her on screen bold scenes, saying the backlash left her feeling hurt and confused.
During a recent growing social media criticism, Sahar said criticism has helped her improve as an actor, but she was surprised by social media users comparing her to Indian actor Emraan Hashmi.
“I find it ridiculous. I’ll be honest, I’m not the first actor or the last actor who has hugged somebody on-screen,” she said.
The actor was recently nicknamed “Pakistan’s Emraan Hashmi” or “Sahar Hashmi going to be Emraan Hashmi of Pakistan” on social media because of hugging scenes in her recent dramas.
Sahar said actors should not be blamed for following a script, by saying that “These are situational things. It’s a requirement and you have to understand that.”
She further added that the decision was made with the director’s approval, “My director told me with full conviction to do it if I’m comfortable.”
Sahar said such scenes are included only when they are important to the story, “I get that it is not accepted by many in our culture, but hugging someone of the opposite gender is something that happens. Can we just stop lying to ourselves? In some parts of Pakistan it might be uncommon, but in others it isn’t”.
She admitted the backlash has changed the way she looks at similar scenes in the future. “I’ll be honest, I’ll be more cautious of this because if we are making dramas for the audience, if you don’t like it then we won’t do it but just don’t put me at gunpoint,” she said.
Despite the online debate, Sahar Hashmi continues to build her career in the Pakistani drama industry. Her growing visibility shows that she has quickly become one of the most talked about new faces personality in television, whether through praise, criticism, or viral comparisons.
