Zindagi Gulzar Hai actor Sanam Saeed opens up on Pakistani artists’ ban: ‘Fawad Khan and Mahira really got the brunt’

In an interview with Brut, Sanam said, “When the ban happened suddenly, it was a bit of a rude awakening, a shock, confusion. Why mix politics with art and culture and all of that? Tragic, but also, like, we all got over it. It is what it is. You can’t fight it… Fawad Khan and Mahira really got the brunt of it. So, I’m sure that they are nervous and scared because of how they were treated. It’s definitely a confusing place to be in when one second you are like here and the next second you are kind of just completely let go of. So I can totally understand why Mahira would be nervous to take that step again because it was a tough exit for them.”

Sanam, who made her digital debut with Pakistani web series Qatil Haseenaon Ke Naam in 2021, also revealed that artists in Pakistan’s film industry make fun of how Muslims are portrayed in Indian cinema in stereotypical ways.

“Of course, we always make fun of how Muslims are portrayed in Indian films with the kajal and the namaz cap and the green in the background somewhere to show that this is a Muslim person or a Muslim community. And of course, I mean it gets too political but they have always been highlighted as the enemy. I don’t think I have seen any projects where the two nations are friends and collaborating together, unlike, in reality where collaborations are happening at every level,” said the actor, who will soon be seen in Pakistani films Ishrat Made In China and Aan.