My character and my work are important, not my age: Meera

'Baaji' star says female actors are denied credible roles after a certain age

The renowned Meera and film-maker Saqib Malik were guests on this week’s Say It All with Iffat Omer, as they discussed the mistreatment of senior female actors in the Pakistani entertainment industry.



Iffat pointed out that senior actors now are made to feel irrelevant especially at award shows. She said that youngsters are given the front seats whilst veterans who have contributed the most to the industry are made to sit at the back. “I would rather not go to such events anymore,” stated the host.

Iffat's claim arose from a serious discussion with her guests, as Meera opened up about the hardships she has had to face in the industry. She hesitated several times when questioned about her age as she expressed how it is not essential to put a number on herself. “I feel I would be disrespecting the women who look up to me if I talk about my age because it does not influence who I am as a person. My character is important. My work is important. Not my age," clarified the Baaji star.

Saqib was also questioned about the age limit that is imposed on female actors after which they become undesirable. To this, the director of Baaji said that his film was about the comeback of an actor well after her golden period had passed.

 

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He also pointed out some Indian actors who have made a remarkable comebacks into Bollywood, regardless of their ages. “Now things are changing. Madhuri Dixit is doing work and she is getting films written for her. Tabu is one of the biggest stars of India and she has made a magnificent comeback. She recently did three to four films that are hits, and she is 43 or 44,” he said.

However, both Iffat and Meera opined that this is not the case here  in Pakistan yet. They continued to talk about how uploading a simple picture on Instagram becomes a curse as you age, given that people bash you for wearing the simplest of things.



“We come on the screen every day with a happy face, to entertain the public and represent our country, regardless of how we feel inside. However, we do not receive any appreciation off-screen," Meera said.

She expressed how celebrities are made to sacrifice their comfort in order to put up a show, yet, they are not empathised with because their struggles are hidden behind a mask. To this, Iffat added that she had to come back to a shoot just one week after her mother's passing.

The dialogue progressed as Meera kept her hold on the topic, bringing in the criticism she received throughout her career. “There was a point in my career when I honestly wanted to do better work but it was not given to me. It developed this urge in me, which I feel develops in all artists, but that desire is exploited in our industry. Here, people keep giving you hope but nothing comes out of it.”

PHOTO: MEERA/INSTAGRAM

The starlet went on to say that when she talks abroad about the kind of roles she wants to do she is always encouraged and appreciated. “My desire to do the roles I want is appreciated overseas but people here only respect you when you are dead. That is when they realise the contributions an individual has made or could have made but was never given the opportunity to,” Meera concluded.

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