The quiet rebellion of Sania

We all know the seasoned actor Sania Saeed for her screen presence and the lasting impression she leaves on her fans with every role. A symbol of humility and quiet star power, Sania has expressed multiple times that she's not too fond of the limelight despite the influence she inadvertently commands.

But before she was Sania Saeed, one of Pakistan's most beloved actors, she was just Sania - a girl raised in a home of love and taught a strong sense of responsibility that shaped the rest of her life. In an interview on Frieha Altaf's podcast, the Sange Mar Mar actor shared that she first touched base with social justice when she was barely a teenager.

The actor recalled the widespread protests that were afoot during Zia's regime, calling for justice for sexual assault victims. "There was a girl who was legally punished. She was raped, she was pregnant, and she was blind. But she was also convicted," Sania said. "I took a signature campaign to school and told the other girls that this was wrong. I must've been 14 or 15. But I was very clear even then, mostly because of my parents, on what is right and what should not be tolerated."

Sania added that the situation in the country at the time sparked dissent and conversations that were deemed controversial, which was why she was reprimanded for her actions. "I was almost kicked out because they said, 'Politics isn't allowed in school.' I argued that this wasn't politics, this was about human rights."

Persisting issues

Although her days of decrying injustice were from an era long gone, the Ae Dil actor believes that there's much work yet to be done. "We haven't gotten out of that time period. Now, thanks to social media, we see these things more frequently. People might not be stoned physically, but they do suffer socially."

Still, Sania doesn't believe that all hope is lost. "It's changing. But all changes are slow. One just hopes that they are not necessarily bloody. But with a social structure like this, even change can be strict. It is a helpless compulsion."

The Raqeeb Se actor added, "It upsets me that a country that's made up of such good people is in such dire straits."

But Sania believes there's a catch to virtue as well. "We are good with our traditions but not in our practices. We might even have good intentions, but since we're ignorant, we haven't earned sufficient education, and we can't keep pace with the world, then even good intentions can't save us from bad behaviour and regressive attitudes."

She observed that people tend to view an imperfect society from the surface level and conclude that progress is thriving, especially when it comes to gender equality. "People look at less than one per cent of the population and say, 'A lot of women work now.' Yes, they've always been working. But the point is to acknowledge the pay gap, property issues, rights given by the law, and if they even feel safe here."

She stated that multiple factors compel women to work, including their own ambitions, but they can't even do that safely. "Your gaze, your words, your behaviour instill fright in a woman. Shouldn't you be ashamed of yourself for that?" she posed. "But anyway, I don't think there's a way out of this aside from pushing back."

Lending a hand

While Sania has played her part by attending protests and marches in the past, she doesn't want to hog space, knowing she might take attention away from what's important.

"What happens is that the celebrity becomes the focus at such events. Not that they shouldn't participate, but people tend to get distracted by pointless things," she said. "The agenda of Aurat March is never misplaced, but it can be overshadowed by this ruckus. So, that's why I used to think that my attendance was not that helpful."

Despite the setbacks, Sania's support for the movement remains loud and clear: "I'm always there in spirit."