My life is like Imtiaz Ali's films'

Saba Qamar reflects on joy in pain

During her appearance at the Jashne Rekhta festival in Dubai on Sunday, Saba Qamar waxed lyrical about the empty moments in life. Captured in video clips uploaded by Instagram digital creator Sahar Naseem Awan, Saba said, "My life is like Imtiaz Ali's films - [I have an] incomplete soul. Though, I feel that emptiness in life has its own joy."

Bollywood director Imtiaz Ali, who is known for hits like Jab We Met and Love Aaj Kal, is lauded for his fictional happily-ever-afters that leave the heart wanting more, and Saba seems to agree. However, she acknowledges that there's beauty in wanting more yet never getting it.

"There is value in leaving things incomplete. Achieving your desires means eliminating them. So I believe that there is amusement in pain. If there is pain, there is fun," she concluded.

The Cheekh actor attended the event alongside Tumhare Husn Ke Naam co-star Imran Abbas. Her poetic side flourished at the festival, which was dedicated to the celebration of Urdu language and literature, prompting her to share her insights on how Urdu has evolved culturally.

"I feel like, with time, a lot changes. We all like change, be it through song or language," she noted. "I do think change is important. I don't have a problem with code-switching in songs or dialogues. I just think that our patience has diminished over time."

Saba believes that Urdu is admired for how it's rendered. "But nobody seems to have the time for dissecting the language, so how is one meant to understand Urdu for what it is? You need patience for that sort of thing. Once you have it, then every language reads beautifully," she said.

Aside from inspiring awe with her words, Saba stunned in an ensemble tailored by Sabyasachi. A part of the brand's Bridal Collection from 2023, the jamdani sari exhibited understated luxury through a florid presentation.

Instagram users complimented the 40-year-old actor on how gracefully the fabric draped around her figure. "Saba needs to give lessons on how to carry saris!" a fan gushed. "It looks so pretty on her," remarked another.

But that's not the only reason Saba's enthusiasts are happy to see her again. Back in January, after an unannounced break from social media that had fans worried, the A-lister took to Instagram stories to reassure her followers that all was well.

"Hey, my amazing fans! I know a lot of you were worried about me, so I just wanted to let you know that I had severe diarrhoea, but Alhamdulillah, I'm feeling much better now," she began.

Saba's caption sat atop a picture of herself smiling in a hospital bed as she was flanked by a team of well-wishers, including Maat co-star Aamina Sheikh and Ishq Jalebi actor Hina Khwaja Bayat. Paying homage to her medical team Saba continued, "I'm healing, recovering, and my wonderful team is taking great care of me."

Saba also acknowledged the good wishes and well-intentioned queries of her fans and followers with a sweet note, hinting that it would not be long before she returned to work. "Your love and prayers mean so much to me, and I promise I'll be back really soon," she penned. "Love you all, please keep me in your duas!"

Proving how much she was moved by the love of her fans, the actor also shared on her Stories a photo of a message held up by a fan performing Umrah. The picture simply showed a fan holding up a notepad with the words "Saba Qamar Zaman" with a shot of the Kaaba in the background, along with the caption, "Praying for your speedy recovery."