Saba Faisal’s remarks point to the growing divide between senior and young actors

In a recent interview on PTV Home’s Star & Style, Saba Faisal reflected on how she learned her craft by shadowing seniors on set, listening to their advice and observing them. Today, she said, this apprenticeship culture has thinned.

Advice is often taken as offence. Correction sounds like condescension. “I have learned a lot from my seniors,” she noted, adding that many younger actors now arrive unfamiliar with the nuances of acting and refuse to learn from their seniors’ experience. 

Her comments have been echoed by various veteran actors, while the opposite has been spoken about by newer actors. This points to a wider unease in Pakistan’s entertainment industry: two generations working side by side, but rarely learning from each other.

For veterans, the problem is discipline. Actor Nadia Afgan has spoken about younger co-stars arriving without knowing their lines or skipping rehearsals, with a lack of focus on set. The Cake actor, Syed Mohammad Ahmed, has described showing up on time only to wait nearly 8 hours for younger actors, calling punctuality a basic courtesy that is disappearing in the industry.

“Times have changed,” he said, mirroring Saba Faisal’s point. “I have no authority to tell a new artist anything, or that they have been wrong."

Senior actors brought real strengths to the industry and understood aspects of acting that only came with experience, such as when to arrive on set and how to work with directors. They have pointed out issues with punctuality and the willingness to learn among younger actors, but it seems their way of passing on knowledge sometimes felt discouraging. Public criticism and the assumption that age meant superiority often turned into gatekeeping and made younger actors hesitant to take advice.

When Ishq Beparwah actor Alizeh Shah was criticised on television by Yasir Nawaz and Naveed Raza for alleged unprofessional behaviour on the set of Mera Dil Mera Dushman (2020), she largely stayed silent. Instead, she posted a brief Instagram story, “I respect everyone who respects me," and later spoke indirectly about experiencing 'on-set abuse' and dismissive treatment by seniors, without naming anyone. In a recent Instagram story, Shah has issued a final warning to Nawaz for his repeated mentions of her. 

Actor Nazish Jahangir has pointed out that criticism from seniors can sometimes feel like resentment rather than guidance. “We respect our seniors,” she said on The Night Show with Ayaz Samoo, “I don’t think they should show us a side to them that disappoints us.”

While many younger actors may indeed have a discipline problem, many older actors may also have a negative way of relaying criticism. 

Some veteran actors are trying to bridge the gap. Hazaron Raaste actor Rubina Ashraf has argued that criticism should be constructive and logical. Seniors, she said, should act as mentors, not judges. She also acknowledged that, in Pakistan, “we do not have any training grounds,” and that this hurdle means that all young actors are self-taught.

Even in these circumstances, she thinks “young actors are doing remarkably”.

This cements the fact that both older and younger actors bring value and versatility to the screen. The only issue is the gap in communication between them.

A balanced approach would require trade-offs for both generations. Seniors would need to pass on experience with a more understanding, less critical stance, while juniors would need to be open to guidance.