Hina Bayat gives it back to trolls

"What will society say?" is a question that has held back individuals for longer than many of us can remember. Although with age and generational differences, societal norms do evolve, but some ingrained teachings keep us strapped to expectations even as we ache to break free.

Hina Bayat seems to understand this on a personal level. Speaking in a group interview led by Madeha Naqvi, she said, "People need an excuse to criticise others. My question to people is, we become so fearful of doing something that might not be received well in the eyes of the public, but don't we brazenly do the same things in our private lives?"

She further suggested that there are those who are guilty of things like corruption, bribery, and lying, yet they are never held accountable because these things influence power. "Why don't you speak up on these matters?" she posed.

She further spoke of the controversy surrounding the acceptable situation in which one should get married, adding that religion doesn't even impose such restrictions. Bringing up a mournful personal incident, she said, "If I step outside with lipstick on my face, that fuels comments like, 'Women like these don't grieve for their late husbands.' I have read comments that have dared to go this far."

She offered her line of work as justification for how she carries herself, expressing that it is necessary for her to fulfill the demands of whatever character she is portraying at the moment. "And I have even done roles where I went to set right after washing my face, when I didn't even have a speck of makeup on my face. Nobody says anything then," she shared.

Brushing aside the matter of online trolls, Hina recalled words of wisdom from her mother back when her father passed away. Her mother advised her to live not with strength or patience but with gratitude. "If you spend an entire day crying, the world will not come to console you. You should be thankful for every moment that you've been blessed with, in terms of health, life, and wealth," she said.

"It is easy for an outsider to judge you. If I had started taking everything to heart, I would have died," she observed. The Daasi actor's husband Roger Dawood Bayat passed away in 2023 after his battle with cancer. However, Hina doesn't seem reluctant to pursue peace after her spouse's departure, given the vigour of her resolve and contentment of her heart despite the vitriol that tries to weigh her down.