Feminism is misunderstood as a western propaganda: Ayesha Omar

Ayesha Omar, Anoushey Ashraf talk social media trolls, mental health awareness, and struggles of living in limelight

Longtime friends, hosts, and actors Anoushey Ashraf and Ayesha Omar made an appearance on Time Out with Ahsan Khan and discussed society’s “harsh” critique of celebrity statements, personal struggles and mental health awareness.

When Ahsan asked the Bulbulay actor about her calm and composed demeanour and whether that's a facade for her on-screen life, she said, “People often think that I'm very strong on the outside but I have a lot of weaknesses too that I hide from my public life. I'm very emotional too, but I don't know if that's a weakness. I don’t think vulnerability is a weakness but yes, true strength is when you know how to control your emotional reactions.”

She further added, “Being emotional is okay, but not having a grip on your emotional reactions is what everyone should work on. That is how I stay composed and strong.”

Anoushey has been very vocal about mental health issues, especially depressive episodes and dealing with anxiety. The VJ shared that she has personally also struggled with mental health in the past. “I think I still live with it. It’s a continuous process of healing and nourishment.”

The reason why she started having these conversations on public platforms is because her personal stories had people get in touch with her and share their problems. “I started sharing my stories to advocate for awareness. Then people started messaging me and sharing their stories and all I would do is be an ear to their troubles. It’s important that people realise that your brain is an organ too and it too can suffer like any of your other body parts.”

We’re living in the fast-paced digital era where a statement taken out of context, an image, a video, anything can get viral on social media overnight. Talking specifically about how Malala’s opinion on marriage as a partnership in a Vogue interview created havoc on social media, Anoushey said, “I don’t think she ever said ‘don’t get married'. She shared her opinion, and in the interview, she’s the first Pakistani woman to wear a dupatta on her head in a Vogue cover, and she talked about how it empowers her. The fact that she got less appreciation for it and more hatred for her statement says a lot about the society.”

Anoushey further added, “She’s young and she may be politically correct or incorrect, although she is in a power of influence, but the unconditional dislike for her is unwarranted.”

Ayesha also jumped in and said, “I think people have started targeting women in our society.” She, however, refused to share her opinion on Malala’s statement, scared of how statements are taken out of context. But she did have a message for trolls. “I don’t think anyone really wants to hurt people. If you intend on hurting people, then that must mean that you contain a lot of hurt and anger within you. Instead of picking targets, especially women around you, focus on yourself.”

Moving on to their careers, apart from Bulbulay, Ayesha has been missing in action on television for many years now. The actor revealed that it was a conscious choice.

“When I started doing films, I had some directors and producers who didn’t want me to continue television. For Yalghaar, Dr Hasan Waqas Rana asked me to stop taking television projects until the film is released, and the film took three years. After that, there was Rehbra (where she stars with Ahsan Khan), and four other films in the pipeline. So there was no time to do television. However, I’ve recently been offered a role, and I’m very excited about it. It’s the exact role I have been waiting for a long long time.”

The Karachi Se Lahore actor is also followed by the famed Ertugrul’s Halime Sultan, Esra Bilgiç. Calling it a “miracle”, Ayesha shared, “I don’t know her personally, never spoken to her. I am a big fan of her character in the show but maybe she liked something I said and followed me. It was interesting because, at that time, I was the only Pakistani celebrity she was following.”

Anoushey, being witty, added, “Maybe she secretly watches Bulbulay with subtitles on.”

Upon asking why Ayesha doesn’t feel secure with all the success she has, the actor replied that success and security are not linked together at all. “I’m scared and anxious all the time when I step out. I live alone, and when women live alone, you are scared all the time.” She also shared an example of how deeply rooted the anxiety of being harassed is within her. “When I had an accident on the highway, people were coming to help me to pull me out of my car, from the wreckage. I was so scared of them harassing me or assaulting me that I wasn’t letting anyone in and kept screaming. And you see why the fear was valid. It’s valid because a woman was raped on the motorway.”

Anoushey holds very strong opinions and has called out fellow artists multiple times for their “insensitive” opinions. “Shoaib Akhtar said Groove Mera is a terrible song and was bashing its makers, and in my opinion, personal attacks on someone’s creativity or their art is not warranted. Same for Yasir Hussain when he called an artist “trash.” I called him out publicly because he said it publicly.”

“Some people should phrase their opinions correctly knowing the influence they carry in the society,” added Ayesha.

Talking about how feminism is misunderstood in Pakistan, Ayesha shared, “I think a lot of people don’t understand the meaning of feminism or maybe they understand it but choose to be ignorant about it. It isn’t western propaganda and feminists do not dislike men. It actually means to endorse freedom of thought, equal opportunities in all spheres of life for all genders. It wants you to include women in the decision-making processes. That’s it.”

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