Shocked to see me performing Hajj: Javeria Saud says people assume actors are not religious

Actor shared her experience of being met with surprise every time the public witnessed her engaged in a religious act

Pakistani television actor Javeria Saud in her latest interview opened up about her journey as an actor, her marriage to fellow actor Saud Qasmi, and her most recent hit drama serial Baby Baji. She also spoke about her devotion to her faith and how people tend to perceive her a certain way due to her profession, often appearing surprised upon discovering that she is religious.

While on Gup Shup with host Rabia Mughni, when asked about whether or not Javeria had ever—in the past or present—encountered this misguided perception that people who work in the entertainment industry are not attached to their religion or are practicing worshippers in their respective religions, Javeria responded by sharing an anecdote.

She recalled when she went to perform Hajj the previous year, and while staying in the valley of Mina where all the pilgrims were gathered to perform rites of the holy pilgrimage, she was recognized by someone who then proceeded to ask her what she was doing there. She also shared how people act surprised when they see her at a religious event like a Mehfil-e-Milaad. For her, these are just one of the many instances where people see her engaged in a religious practice and react with surprise because they are unable to corelate in their minds the idea that an actor can be dedicated to their craft and their religion.

She then went on to say that people should not make their own assumptions about someone’s dedication to their faith because a person’s connection to God is something that no one else can understand. “How God sees someone is something that even the angels do not know,” stated Javeria on the subject of how it’s wrong for people to assume that just because someone is an entertainer or involved in the performance arts that doesn’t mean they are irreligious and do not have a close relationship with God.

Javeria has previously hosted her own morning show and has even hosted live Ramadan transmissions five times in the past. After working in drama serials for several years, Javeria went on an acting hiatus and only made a comeback in recent years. Her performance in the popular drama serial Baby Baji is currently receiving heaps of praise and has come to rival her famous character Jamila from the long-running comedy-drama Yeh Zindagi Hai.