Below-the-belt move: Waseem Abbas on Firdous Jamal

Actor calls out fellow senior's remarks on Mahira Khan

Pakistani veteran actor Waseem Abbas expressed sharp disapproval of fellow actor Firdous Jamal's remarks regarding younger actor Mahira Khan. Being an actor in the entertainment industry for around forty years, Waseem had much to say on the matter.

"We have no right to criticise anyone in this way, saying things such as she looks like an old woman and whatnot. It's all about the public's acceptance, at the end of the day," the Qarar actor commented. "Age does not matter, in my opinion. She looks and has always looked pretty. And being senior actors, we should always exercise caution when voicing our opinions."

Waseem further stated, "To be fair, we should not be having these discussions in the first place. It's distasteful. You are welcome to criticise someone's performance if you did not enjoy their work. However, when you offer impolite remarks on how they look, it comes off as a below-the-belt move."

Recently, Visaal actor Firdous Jamal was invited on morning show Salam Zindagi, during a segment of which he was requested to impart advice to specific juniors in the industry. Upon getting to Mahira, Firdous had no cordial words to spare as he focused instead on Mahira's growing age allegedly not aligning with the roles she pursues.

In the wake of public discontent, the 70-year-old actor has since defended himself. "The problem with our society is that we make everything controversial," he said. "We have different schools of thought. For instance, drama acting differs from theatre acting. All I meant to say was that since she [Mahira] has a modelling background, the mechanics that she has picked up from that experience do not translate well into this domain of performance."

In the past, Firdous had been under fire for a similar controversy regarding Mahira and Humayun Saeed. Even back then, Waseem remained firm on his stance regarding his fellow actor's nature. "The record of his [Firdous'] seniority can never be broken," Waseem sarcastically remarked.

"He is undoubtedly a brilliant actor," the 63-year-old actor later affirmed. "But there is one thing I have to admit. No matter how big of an actor you are, you must have acceptance for others. According to Firdous, no actor of his calibre has ever emerged, and by this I don't mean myself. There are many great actors around us."

"He speaks his mind uninhibitedly, and oftentimes his words raise objections. Controversies are unavoidable in this case," the Family Front actor observed. The actor has readily complimented both Mahira and Humayun on their skills in all of his assertions.