Amna Ilyas opens up about marriage, colourism and finding her own path

Actor and model Amna Ilyas opened up about her mixed feelings on marriage in a recent interview, discussing what she wanted from a partner and why she was not in a rush to settle down.

When asked about her thoughts on tying the knot, Ilyas admitted her feelings were far from settled. “Right now, I have a very mixed view; I want to get married, but at the same time, I don't. Obviously, deep down, I do wish to get married,” she said.

She was more certain when it came to the qualities she wanted in a partner. “He should be a good, righteous person, free from substance abuse, a happy man, a family man,” she said, describing her ideal match. Speaking pragmatically about finances, she added, “I'd prefer someone whose income is slightly higher than mine; I'd like that.”

Personality was another consideration for Ilyas. “He shouldn't be stoic. I am stoic enough on my own; I am enough,” she said. “If both of us are stoic, then neither will even engage with the other, so he needs to be a very cheerful and lively person.”

Ilyas also revisited colourism within the entertainment industry, recalling experiences that had affected her work and appearance on set. She said she had been dropped from projects over her complexion and described recurring incidents involving makeup artists and photographers.

“This was just to bring my voice forward,” she said, explaining why she had repeatedly used her platform to call out the practice. “You should own your skin colour. No matter how you look, your mind matters, your character matters, your skill matters, not your skin colour.”

It was not the first time Ilyas had spoken publicly about the issue. In an earlier appearance on Frieha Altaf's FWhy podcast, she had recalled being made to look noticeably lighter for shoots. She told Altaf she had once said in a speech that the industry needed to accept artists as they were, adding that she personally disliked being made two shades lighter on set.

Ilyas also addressed her reputation in the industry as a “fearless fighter”, saying the label had been misunderstood. “I'm not a fighter in the physical sense,” she said. “Rather, I'm a fighter in the sense that if something is wrong, even if the person in front of me is extremely powerful, I will stand up against it.”

Asked what, if anything, frightened her, she offered a simple answer: “I am only afraid of Allah.”

The actor also discussed the origins of her clothing brand, explaining that becoming a designer had not been part of her original plan. She had instead sought greater control over her schedule by trying to launch a cut-make-trim unit to manufacture garments for other designers.

“I just wanted to work on my own terms,” she said. “As an actor and model, I work for other people and have to follow a set schedule.”

The venture initially struggled to get off the ground, with six months passing without a single order, even from industry contacts. Ilyas said she had to dip into her own savings to keep it afloat before a friend gave her leftover fabric.

“She sent it to me to help out. I created six to eight designs from it and launched a collection,” Ilyas said, recalling how the resulting exhibition brought in good sales and gave her the confidence to continue.

She described the fashion market as intensely competitive and credited her industry circle with helping her establish the brand. “Once I launched the brand, everyone from my industry supported me — actresses, journalists, designer friends, editors; they all really helped me and came together for me.”

Ilyas also looked back on her experience working with Meera in Baaji, describing the actor in enthusiastic terms while acknowledging the challenges of working together.

“She is a rockstar, extremely confident, and there's never a dull moment around her,” she said. “She is also quite difficult to work with, not in a bad way, but she challenges you in many different ways, and I liked that.” She called the overall shoot, alongside director Saqib Malik and co-star Osman Khalid Butt, a thoroughly enjoyable experience.