Renowned Pakistani actor Sania Saeed recently shed light on the challenges faced by women in her age bracket in the Pakistani television industry during an insightful interview with actor-host Mohib Mirza on a chat show. The veteran actor has openly described the lack of meaningful stories for women in her age group and the societal perception that seems to diminish their importance.
“Serials take up a lot of time,” Sania said when discussing the demands of television projects and why she is committing to fewer projects now. According to The Ghost star, the core of her interest lies in narratives and characters written for women in her age bracket. She expressed disappointment with the industry’s focus on young character roles, neglecting the wealth of stories that women in her age group have to offer.
“Now I have come to understand the work and now they say your story is not important,” lamented Sania, highlighting the rejection of experiences and stories that come with age. She passionately argued that this age group holds a treasure trove of stories, shaped by a significant chunk of life experience that is often overlooked. “But I really want to say that my age group has the most stories to tell.
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“Playing young characters has a completely different dynamic, that’s very important, I agree,” she acknowledged. “I mean, I’ve told young people’s stories all my life, I’ve told old people’s stories in my youth too.
Having spent her career narrating the stories of both young and old characters, Sania emphasized the unique dynamism that comes with playing mature roles. However, she regretted that these roles are often relegated to the shadows. “Now they’re saying that this age group isn’t even important to the point that often the names aren’t even mentioned in the story,” actor Numm pointed out.
The actress also drew attention to the disparity of opportunities for male actors of her generation, noting that very few manage to secure roles suitable for their age category. “This also affects many men of my generation, barring a few, from as many plays as there are [actors playing their own age group],” Sania questioned the industry’s tendency to perpetuate ageism.
When Mohib insisted on how men in showbiz like Humayun Saeed, Faisal Quraishi, Ahsan Khan and even himself continue to get jobs regardless of their age, Sania expressed her amusement and questioned the repeated mention of Humayun in front of her. “I don’t know why everyone is giving me the example of Humayun Saeed, is it because I am Saeed too?” she thought with a laugh.
Seriously, the actor linked the industry’s treatment of women in her age group to wider societal perceptions. “This also reflects how your society generally views women in life,” Sania stated. “After 40, they say these women are irrelevant, what can be said about them.”
