Model Saheefa Jabbar Khattak has spoken out about the harsh realities of Pakistan’s drama industry in an Instagram post.
From unfair working conditions to meaningless storylines, she revealed what really goes on behind the scenes in a detailed carousel post. Saheefa criticised drama makers for prioritising glamour over real issues.
She wrote, “I always had work, more than enough, actually. But I didn’t say yes to everything. There were projects I simply didn’t believe in.”
Out of all her projects, she said she only chose to work in two dramas, Beti and Bhool, because they conveyed real messages.
She added, “It’s rare that a drama is taken seriously during production. Most scripts aren’t treated with the depth they deserve… As long as we’re making dramas just to sell, we will keep losing our purpose, our integrity and the real stories that need to be told.”
She also questioned the over-the-top styling of characters, saying, “Hire professional stylists and artists who actually understand how to dress a character according to the story, class and culture. We need realism, not fantasy.”
She urged drama creators to focus on important topics and stories rooted in real-life issues.
“Why not turn to documentaries? We have endless stories around us, just take a walk outside Data Darbar and see the heroin addicts no one talks about, or the child abuse ring in Kasur. These are the stories we need to show, stories that wake us up instead of numbing us,” she wrote.
She also called out the poor treatment of actors on set, including delayed payments, long working hours, and lack of proper facilities.
“Let’s talk about how production houses delay payments for months… There is no structure, no contracts that are honoured, no sense of responsibility,” she wrote.
She revealed, “There are sets where we don’t have clean bathrooms… Most of the time, there’s one shared room for the entire cast, where everyone is eating, changing, doing makeup, trying to sleep, all in one place, with no consideration for gender or personal space.”
Saheefa also criticised the toxic culture on sets.
She wrote, “If you show up on time, stay in your zone, and focus on your work, you’re ‘difficult’. But if you throw tantrums, come late, act like a diva, you’re seen as ‘worth it’.”
Saheefa concluded her post with a question: “Why aren’t we talking about what matters?”
Her honest words come at a time when several Pakistani actors, including Marina Khan, Syed Mohammed Ahmed, Alizeh Shah, Ramsha Khan, and Khushhal Khan, have also spoken out about industry issues such as delayed payments and a lack of professionalism.
