Yumna reconnects with childhood friend on IG

Actor sent sweet reply to old playmate

Did you ever know a celebrity before they became a celebrity? One of Nayab star Yumna Zaidi's long-lost childhood friends reached out to the actor on Instagram with a heartfelt note – and got the surprise of her life when the latter remembered who she was and sent an equally emotional reply.

"Hi! I'm not sure if you remember me but we used to be neighbours in Sahiwal," wrote one of Yumna's followers, Wajiha, in the comments section of a reel posted on the actor's Instagram handle.

Reminding her former friend of their childhood connection, Wajiha continued, "My brothers and I used to play with you and your siblings. I heard you're in Calgary this weekend. We live here! If you see this and want to meet up, let me know."

Ending on a poignant note, Wajiha concluded, "We're all always rooting for you and my parents always point you out to me on TV 'tumhari purani dost'."

Quick on the uptake, Yumna proved that she did indeed recall Wajiha from her younger days, and penned a sweet note right back, taking care to mention her old playmate's brothers' names to give her response a personal touch.

"Hey Wajiha, hope you, Hasan, Zain and everybody [are] well," wrote the Gentleman actor. Harking back to their happy days together, she added, "We had great times together."

Owing to her quick turnaround in Canada for her fundraising event, however, Yumna expressed her regrets that she would be unable to pencil in the time to meet her old friend, but did extend an invitation to the fundraiser itself.

"Coming here for a very short time for a fundraiser, come [to] the show, would love to see you. Salam to Aunty and Uncle," she finished with a heart emoji.

Yumna's words drew praise from her fans on social media, many of whom revelled in the star's willingness to connect with the people who knew her before her showbiz career took off.

"This response shows Yumna is a humble being, rare to see such an inside-out beauty!" gushed a fan, adding a heart emoji, with many others echoing similar sentiments in the comments section wherever the interaction was shared.

On the work front, Yumna was last seen in the drama Gentleman opposite Humayun Saeed. However, it was her portrayal of the titular character in the film Nayab that catapulted her onto the international stage. Telling the coming-of-age tale of a woman pursuing her passion for cricket, the film gained recognition at the World Film Festival in Cannes in May, as well as the Listapad International Film Festival in Minsk, Belarus last November.