Celebrity producer-director duo Shazia Wajahat and Wajahat Rauf have strongly denied claims that their son Aashir Wajahat benefited from nepotism in the Pakistani entertainment industry.
In a candid conversation on a recent podcast, the couple opened up about the online criticism their son has faced, asserting that they have “never invested a single rupee” in his career.
“There was this helplessness because I was being restricted from replying to trolls,” Shazia said, addressing the public perception that Aashir’s success was handed to him due to his parents’ influence. “People used to say its nepotism and his dad must have done everything for him. But we knew he was doing it all on his own.”
Wajahat Rauf echoed his sentiments, revealing that Aashir had been financially independent from a young age. “He used to do advertisements for big companies as a child. By collecting that money, he made his own music videos costing around 1 to 1.5 lakh rupees. We never funded them. In fact, we were busy with our dramas. I’ve never called anyone to get him a role or a music project.”
He further clarified that no industry peer can claim that Wajahat Rauf ever made a call to get Aashir a role. “No one can come and say Wajahat called them to shoot a song or cast him in a film. That just didn’t happen.”
Wajahat shared how Aashir created his early music videos on a shoestring budget. “Some videos were shot at his grandmother’s house. Washed clothes were hanging in the background. The girl in the video was his friend and didn’t even charge him. That’s how he started.”
He added that Aashir has received both appreciation and trolling for his music, particularly referencing his hit song Ranjhna, which gained popularity. “Some songs were loved, some were not. A man learns from his mistakes.”
The couple opened up about their concern for their son’s emotional well-being in the face of intense public scrutiny. “We were very upset and concerned about Aashir,” Wajahat said. “We worried about whether he could handle the criticism. I was afraid he might break down.”
Addressing the source of public skepticism, Wajahat explained: “People see a 17-year-old uploading pictures with Mahira Khan, Hania Aamir, Dananeer, and Imran Ashraf, and they wonder, ‘What’s so special about him?’ They think these kids are born with silver spoons. But what they don’t see is the struggle behind the scenes. Aashir never defends himself, but he used to sit outside studios for hours, waiting.”
Wajahat also pointed out that nepotism does not guarantee success in Pakistan’s entertainment industry. “This isn’t India. You don’t automatically get work because your parents are famous. Aashir has done four films—two of them weren’t even mine. John and Na Baligh Afraad weren’t our productions. He has also done PTV telefilms and other projects.”
Shazia shared the story of how Aashir was cast in the film John, entirely on his own merit. “We didn’t even know who Babar, the writer-director, was. One day, Aashir told us he had been offered the lead role in a film. We were shocked,” she said. “He said Saleem Mairaj was also part of it. I later confirmed with Saleem bhai, and he said, ‘Yes, this boy Babar brought a great script and I agreed to work on it.’ Aashir had even shot an audition on the set of Raqs-e-Bismil without our knowledge.”
Despite her desire to publicly defend her son’s struggles, Shazia said her family discouraged her from speaking out. “I wanted to say so much about what he went through, but my family stopped me. They said it wasn’t worth it.”
Aashir Wajahat is a Pakistani actor, singer, and content creator known for his early start in showbiz. He began his career as a child actor in commercials and gradually transitioned into films and music. He has appeared in four films, including Karachi Se Lahore, Chhalawa, Na Baligh Afraad, and John. Notably, John marked his first lead role in a non-family production.
As a singer, Aashir gained widespread attention with his song Ranjhna, which became popular among youth audiences. He has also released several other songs, including Tutti Frutti, Sadqay, and Jo Tu Na Mila (cover), experimenting across genres and styles.
Following the release of John and a Ramzan special drama, “Aashir has taken a complete break from acting and music, with no current projects announced,” shared Shazia.
