Haya Khan discusses realities of working in Pakistan's entertainment industry

Actor Haya Khan opened up about the realities of working in the entertainment industry, discussing transparency issues, online criticism, workplace boundaries, and the pressures of social media during a recent podcast interview.

Reflecting on her experience, Haya criticised what she described as the industry’s habit of giving “lame excuses” instead of being honest with actors about casting decisions. “Hamare industry mein seedha jawab dene ke bajaye bohot lame excuses diye jate hain,” (“In our industry, instead of giving a direct answer, people often make lame excuses,”) she said. She added that many young artists are left confused because they are not given clear and professional feedback when they are not selected for projects.

The actor also spoke about maintaining professional boundaries in the industry, revealing that she frequently brings her mother along to meetings. “Main aksar meetings mein apni mama ko saath le kar jati hoon taake main comfortable feel karun,” she shared (“I often take my mother with me to meetings so that I feel comfortable.”) Haya explained that having a family member present helps her avoid uncomfortable situations and maintain professionalism in unfamiliar environments.

Recalling one of her early career experiences, Haya shared that she once walked away from a project after dealing with a director who was verbally aggressive and unreasonable on set. Although she described the experience as deeply upsetting, she noted that it taught her the importance of standing up for herself in professional spaces.

Speaking further about social media culture, Haya shared how even festive occasions come with expectations to constantly post content online. “Ab to lagani padegi... mujhe bhi messages aa rahe hain, ‘Where are your Eid pics?’ phir main jaldi-jaldi ready hui,” she recalled (“Now I have to post them… I was getting messages asking, ‘Where are your Eid pictures?’ so I quickly got ready.”)

Discussing her acting choices, Haya said she wants to explore more layered and unconventional characters instead of repetitive family dramas. “I want to do something that is not typical. Main typical saas-bahu ghar ke rishte nahi karna chahti… everyone wants to see something new,” she said (“I want to do something different. I do not want to do typical mother-in-law and household relationship stories… everyone wants to see something new.”)

The actor added that she often takes inspiration from films such as Dear Zindagi while preparing for emotionally nuanced performances.

Haya also reflected on her drama Kafeel, which she described as a turning point in her career. Sharing the excitement of joining the project alongside Sanam Saeed and Meesam, she said: “Jab Kafeel aaya to main waise hi excited thi… aur jab maine script parhi aur story samjhi to laga ye to hua hi nahi hai. It was just like a dream,” (“When Kafeel came to me, I was already excited… and when I read the script and understood the story, I felt this had never been done before. It was just like a dream.”)

Currently, Haya is working on a new drama for Express TV, which she says is very different from her previous work. “Abhi jo main ek drama kar rahi hoon uska character bara interesting sa hai, and that is my aim for the future,” she shared (“The drama I am currently working on has a very interesting character, and that is exactly my aim for the future.”)

She further revealed that she has been working gruelling 12 to 16-hour shifts for the project while focusing intensely on improving her craft as an actor. Regarding women’s safety, Haya recounted a distressing incident during an outdoor shoot where strangers filmed her without her consent. She said the experience reinforced how unsafe public spaces can often feel for women, especially those working in the entertainment industry.

Outside of acting, Haya shared that she keeps herself occupied with hobbies such as painting and playing padel during quieter periods in her career. Looking ahead, the actor said she hopes to take on more meaningful, high-quality projects, including the possibility of starring in a biopic someday.

She also expressed interest in working alongside fellow actor Bilal Abbas Khan in the future.