Mira Sethi, who never shies away from taking a strong stance on feminism, has shared that she rejected a role in the highly talked-about drama Main Manto Nahi Hoon because of its infamous writer Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar.
Qamar is widely known for his controversial and often regressive views about women. His conservative and, at times, disrespectful portrayal of women in scripts has often sparked criticism across the board, especially from progressive voices in the industry. Mira Sethi is among those who strongly disagree with his ideology.
In a recent conversation, Sethi revealed that she had been offered a significant role in the drama, the one now being portrayed by Sanam Saeed. “I was offered a role which now is being played by Sanam Saeed. I was so tempted because it would have been Humayun Saeed, Sajal Aly and myself and I have worked with Sajal before in Kuch Ankahi. But because of the writer of the show, I just thought to myself if I go on and do this role, despite speaking out so much about feminism, what’s the point? The writer says very strange and troubling things about women. And I was very tempted to do the drama. Even some of my very progressive friends told me, ‘Just do it quietly.’ But I said no, I didn’t do it,” she said.
She went on to share that she is currently working on other projects. “I am doing a drama with Mehreen Jabbar, and it will be televised in November. It is hard to say no because then you miss out on opportunities,” Sethi added during a women’s rights event.
When asked whether she fears being “cancelled” for taking a stand, Sethi responded: “I think people are tired now, and I think they know who I am. I wrote a book called ‘Are You Enjoying,’ and there’s a line in it that says, ‘Television is a way of enhancing the inner truth of the host.’ I’m not a host, but there are certain vibes of a person, people get what you stand for. Maybe they’ll come for me again. What should I do then? I’ll see.”
Main Manto Nahi Hoon is the talk of the town with a script penned by Qamar and stellar cast including Humayun (Manto) and Sajal (Mehmal). Sanam Saeed plays a pivotal role in the series, which has gained significant attention for its intense storyline and powerful performances, as well as the ongoing debate surrounding its controversial writing and plot.