Why Salma Hasan spent eight years in therapy
Hasan confessed that she became extremely bitter and would snap at everything. Photo: File
In a candid appearance on a morning show, Salma Hasan, celebrated for her roles in Fairy Tale and Mujhe Pyaar Hua Tha, opened up about her intense battle with personal trauma and its impact on her daughter, Fatima.
"There was a point where I became very bitter," Hasan confessed. "I would snap at everything. I wouldn't try to understand the situation; I had lost the ability to. My first reaction would be to say, 'No.' Fatima also suffered because of this."
Hasan shared that her struggle led her into therapy for eight years, a journey driven by her desire to protect her daughter. "I went into therapy for eight years. It's a long time. Only so that I don't end up destroying my daughter. She's the reason I went to therapy in the first place. That this is affecting her. I am harming her by what is happening to me which is unfair."
Reflecting on a particularly challenging period, she added, "I made her life hell. Surprisingly, she remembers things well. But it happens." Hasan's courageous decision to confront her inner demons underscores her dedication to her daughter's well-being and sheds light on the often unseen struggles of maintaining a family while grappling with personal issues.
In an earlier interview with BBC Urdu, the actor opened up about her showbiz career and divorce. Hasan began her career in 1998 with the series Dhoop Mein Saawan but she gained immense popularity with the sitcom Sub Set Hai. At the height of her career, she decided to marry actor-director Azfar Ali and started focusing more on her personal life instead of work.
The actor, who plays Maheer's mother in Mujhe Pyaar Hua Tha, resumed work a few years after her divorce from Ali in 2012. Talking about her role, she highlighted the importance of not adhering to absolutes when it came to her character. "Developing this character was difficult - the rest are easy," stated Hasan. "For most characters, I am a mother, so it's easy But this character was unbelievable for me, because how can one person be so extreme?"