I wish my father was still alive: Amna Ilyas

Actor reflects on life without a male authority figure

During her appearance on Zabardast with Wasi Shah, actor and model Amna Ilyas spoke candidly about the lasting void left by her father's passing over two decades ago.

"It's been more than 20 years since my father passed. My mother was very young – she was in her mid to late thirties. She had a very tough life but she's an amazing woman. She's a very strong woman till today," Amna shared, paying tribute to her mother's resilience in raising her children as a single parent.

Amna explained while moved to tears, how, as she grew older, she became fully aware of how significant a father's presence can be in a child's life. "When I came into my teenage years, that was when I first realised how important it is to have a male figure and a father in your life. In my house we were four sisters, my mother and a younger brother, so there wasn't a male figure as such."

She opened up about the struggles of navigating difficult moments during adolescence without a father's guidance. "When you're a teenager and you're growing up and someone teases you – who do you tell? Life is tough and I miss my father even now. Things would have been different if he was still alive."

The Baaji actor also shared a bittersweet memory of her father's passing, one that still lingers in her mind. "I remember when he died – I don't know why someone took photos – but we have photos of his death. I was five or six and in those pictures, I'm laughing. My brother is laughing too. We didn't know what was happening and didn't know for a few years after as well."

Despite their loss, Amna praised her mother's efforts to ensure her children never felt deprived. "Our mother never let us feel the lack of anything. The pocket money we used to get while our father was alive, we would get the same – in fact we would get more."

However, some voids remain irreplaceable. "But yes, when you are a growing woman and you hear your friends say something like, 'I'll go and tell my father this,' it hits you hard because who will you go and tell? Your mother can't handle everything. There are some things only a father can handle."

Concluding, Amna expressed, "So, that is something I miss. I miss my father a lot and I wish he was still alive."