Maria Wasti demands better scripts and stories

Actor explains TV absence, talks social media

Television actor Maria Wasti revealed that she is on the hunt for engaging content as she touched upon her absence from the screens during a recent appearance on a local talk show.

"It is good to take a break," remarked the Ashk actor as a guest on host Imran Ashraf's Mazaaq Raat. "Also, I've been searching for better scripts and stories that I truly want to do."

Turning her attention to the dramas of today, the actor voiced concern over how rehearsals are now often skipped. "Now, people don't even rehearse," she lamented. "That's something I strongly object to. They say, 'Take one, if it happens, fine. If not, we'll redo it.' But at least rehearse, do the dry run, the camera rehearsal. Get the work solid!"

For Wasti, great acting is never a solo endeavour and requires preparation before shooting begins. "If you're not ready with your lines, your script, your interaction with the other actor, I can't perform well," she explained. Touching upon the importance of a committed co-star, she added, "If the actor opposite me isn't present... then I can't do my best work either. Great acting comes from teamwork. If you're not good, I can't be good either."

However, Wasti acknowledged that with time, actors have to adapt to the changing culture of the industry in order to survive. "Right now, I'm not calling the audience 'consumers', I'm calling the actor a consumer," she explained. "The writer, the producer, we're also part of it. We have to make reels, too, where previously, we only had to act."

Despite such challenges, Wasti does not blame social media for the wave of change. "I don't blame social media or these advancements; these are tools," she said. "They were created for our use. If someone misuses them, that's their choice."

Nevertheless, the actor recognises the toll the pressure of social media can take upon mental health. "People used to take your pictures—now you take your own pictures," she mused. "If you let it consume you so much that you end up needing a psychiatrist because you're constantly taking pictures of yourself and obsessing over how your hair looks."

Since her breakthrough in Kallo, Maria Wasti has starred in over 50 television dramas, including Baandi, Baba Jani, and Moorat. Known for her emotional depth and unflinching professionalism, she remains one of Pakistan's most respected screen actors.