Star power is measured through Instagram following, not acting skills: Sonya Hussyn

Actor talks about mental health, TRPs and how social media is discouraging aspiring artists

The conundrum of mental illnesses in Pakistan has a lot to do with the way they are represented in the media. In fact, the stigma attached to them usually emerges from the lack of representation a­ltogether. 

While our television industry has managed to put out a few serials dedicated to highlighting the issue, Pakistani cinema continues to lag, possibly because of the fear of spreading misinformation.

Recent serials dedicated to the cause include Zahid Ahmed and Sonya Hussyn’s Ishq Zahe Naseeb and real-life couple Sajal Aly and Ahad Raza Mir’s Ye­h Dil Mera. But Ishq Zahe Naseeb wasn't the last show Hussyn worked on regarding mental health. Her latest show, Saraab, sees the actor as a schizophrenic person. She feels that as an artist it is important to play such roles. 

"Being an artist, we have a responsibility to address matters that masses usually shy away from," the actor told BBC Urdu, adding, "Our society suffers from a grave issue: we like to complicate things. Take any topic if you like, let it be women's rights, complexion, their physique - all such matters have been complicated because we don't discuss such things."

Hussyn went on to stress the importance of highlighting mental health just as a physical one. 

"Like physical health, when it comes to mental health, we tend to take it in a certain way. If someone is suffering from something, we use words such as abnormal, someone who isn't like us - the language of it all really counts. They're considered taboo," she continued. "I think it starts at home. We usually hear our parents question terms such as depression, anxiety, stress. If there is a mental health problem, we try to suppress it rather than highlighting it."

Talking about how she bagged the show, the actor shared, "When I was offered Saraab, the point that made me sign the project was that it wasn't ratings-driven. It was about educating the masses. To give an insight into what I would be stepping into, the director of the show, Mohsin Talat asked me to visit a rehab centre and understand what was expected of me. He told me to hold off the signing of the project and see if I would want to work on this."

She divulged how she met a schizophrenic patient there. "I just felt if I work on this show, I can somehow contribute to society. I just wanted to highlight the importance of mental illness: that it is just important as physical illness. 

Speaking of her characters, she remarked, "I choose the role very consciously. If I am offered around 30 scripts annually, I tend to do one that would challenge me, something I haven't done before."

Hussyn then commented on how the producers aren't working on better content but on storylines that would sell. "We have stopped analysing the content we are presenting to the audience. The biggest flaw this generation has is that it doesn't read. The only thing that we focus on now is TRPs. Jo dikh raha hai, wo bik raha hai. No matter how awful the narrative is."

In this era of social media, the actor is rightfully concerned about how fans perceive the stardom based on the number of likes rather than the talent of an artist.

"I am not a social media person. I don't know, I find this very unnerving. Your star power is measured through your Instagram following, not your prowess," she said. "Oh, this actor has five million followers? She has to be the biggest star in Pakistan. Even if there is no material in her acting or career. This has discouraged aspiring actors as well"

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