If you are real, if you are flawed, social media will come at you with knives: Uzma Hassan

‘Khaie’ actor sat down for a candid interview to talk acting, showbiz and family

Recently garnering praise for her performance in the hit drama series Khaie, Uzma Hassan graced the couch at Gup Shup with Fuchsia and indulged in a candid interview to talk acting, showbiz and family.

“I don’t have a filter between my brain and my mouth,” the 45-year-old said with a smile. “I say whatever is in my heart. It often doesn’t sit well with people.” While people typically are not primed to hear some truths, as per the actor, honesty does not have to ‘hurt or offend’ people.

Uzma added, “It’s much easier to do a character than to reveal yourself as you are. Our people are very unforgiving and I am an extremely sensitive, thin-skinned person.” The Mannat Murad actor explained how she has yet to master the art of navigating interactions with people. “I get bouts of anxiety if someone asks me to make a shout-out post,” she admitted.

“There’s a fear because there’s no acceptance [in our society] of people as individuals with whatever flaws they have. As long as someone is real, we are ready to whip out our knives and swords, and if we can’t find them, we have the internet,” Uzma described the unwelcoming spirit that pervades the social fabric. 

In the character’s skin

Despite being asked to host acting workshops and sessions, she maintained that teaching is an altogether different art from acting. “I have not studied this (acting) formally from books, I am relying purely on instinct.” According to Uzma, the key to becoming a good actor is to forget one’s self. She stated, “You can hold on to an element of that personality but please put yourself somewhere else and get into the skin of the character.” 

Uzma, who has received wide acclaim for her work in hit dramas like Aao Kahani Buntay Hain and Ullu Baraye Farokht Nahi, offered one reason as to why some actors fail to surprise. “Some people look the same in every character because I don’t think it’s possible for them to leave behind their aura,” she mused.

The actor stressed the need to break free from self-imposed restrictions regarding certain roles and the mannerisms they entail. “If I say ‘no, I won’t sit like this or I will keep my posture only like this,’ then I am not that character anymore,” she pointed out. In a surprising reveal, Uzma shared that she never watches the monitor during the shoot. She said, “I’ll be done for good if I start obsessing over how I look.”

Commenting on her learning journey, Uzma credited veteran TV star Naumaan Ijaz with whom she has shared the screen in multiple projects. “He’s one of the finest actors that we have, I love working with him. I think I’ve done some of my best work with him,” she beamed.

Uzma divulged an important lesson that Naumaan taught her in her early days while the two were working together in Aao Kahani Buntay Hain in 2011. As per the actor, the Ramchand Pakistani star sat her down one day and said, “You are not supposed to ‘vomit’ dialogues. Take your time, the camera is on your face.” 

Losing her mother

Recalling her childhood, Uzma shared how she was closer to her father, appreciating his leniency, while her mother, though strict, held a special place in her heart. After her father's passing, her relationship with her mother underwent a transformation, deepening their connection. However, the pain of her mother’s passing was enough to shake her faith.

“I wanted anything. That whatever happens, my mother should be spared the pain,” Uzma recalled during the interview. “Because she was a very self-respecting woman. You know how the elders pray may God never make you dependent on someone? So even when you would give her a walking cane, she would say ‘Leave it, I will do it.’” 

The celebrity recounted moments of tenderness and vulnerability, describing the anguish of witnessing her mother's health deteriorate. “Your dignity is affected,” Uzma underlined the toll sickness takes on someone who has spent all their life self-reliant. 

A test of faith

Disclosing one poignant moment from her mother’s final days, she shared, “I remember she had the nostril mask on and I was stroking her hair and I said, ‘I love you, Mommy.’ This one little tear fell down [from her eye]. So, I went down and I was very angry.” 

Uzma went on to confess that watching her parent’s torment was a test of her faith. “I was like ‘God doesn’t listen, He doesn’t care’. Everyone would tell me to keep praying and not say things like these but in that moment, how would I regain composure?”

Until one moving encounter with a friend proved life-changing and marked a moment of closure. “So I was sitting and my friend, who was fasting, was offering her prayers. When she was done, she said, ‘Uzma, I had a thought while praying. Aunty is staying here for you. She is not leaving because of you. Let her go,’” the actor narrated. 

Uzma furthered on, “And I looked up and said, ‘You won’t fix my mother, will you? Fine, take her.’ And I kid you not, that was the time she passed away.”
 
Through tears and heartfelt recollections, the Arth star urged viewers to not forget the humanity within their loved ones. “It’s been six years…We forget that our parents are individuals in their own right,” she reflected. 

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