Actor recalls Berlin red carpet where public scrutiny centred on her outfit rather than work
Life And Style DeskSeptember 14, 20262 min readPhoto: BBC Urdu/Youtube
Actor Mamya Shajaffar opened up in an interview with BBC Urdu regarding the scrutiny women in Pakistan’s entertainment industry faced over their clothing, describing how quickly public judgment over what a woman wore could turn dangerous.
“When what you have worn becomes an answerable thing and, based on this, whether or not you should live, die, be harassed, [or] raped. It changes a lot in you,” Mamya said, reflecting on how deeply the scrutiny may affect a woman’s sense of self and safety.
Citing her experience walking a red carpet in Berlin, the actor noted that despite the platform and the work that had taken her there, the conversation around her appearance centred almost entirely on what she wore rather than her accomplishments. This was in contrast, she said, to how global stars such as Dua Lipa were covered at the same kinds of events, where the focus stayed on their work rather than their outfits.
Mamya also drew a sharp comparison to illustrate the imbalance. “If Deepika Padukone comes to Pakistan, they will die to take pictures with her and no one will give her a hard time. But if one of you is on that same platform, that will be a problem,” she argued.
Moving to discuss her career journey, the actor shared that she never expected to feel embraced by the industry the way she eventually did. Mamya recalled receiving her first drama offer and being sceptical about how audiences would respond to her, given how often women were judged for their appearance rather than their work.
She said it would have been far simpler to fall in line. “It would be very easy for me to mould myself and hide; it would be a very politically correct way of living for me,” Mamya said, adding that conforming would likely have brought her more work, fewer critical comments, and a cleaner public image, even if it meant living dishonestly with herself.
Instead, the actor shared that she chose to stay recognisable to herself. “I’m not doing anything wrong, so why should I go out of the way to make someone believe something about me that I don’t need to do?” she said.
For Mamya, the decision to stop moulding herself to others’ expectations was tied directly to her wellbeing. She said constantly holding back her personality had begun to feel like it was putting her own body at risk, prompting her to prioritise her physical and mental health over public approval. “If suppressing myself can come between my life and death, then next time I don’t need to suppress myself, hold back my anger, or think about someone else’s convenience,” the actor stated.
Mamya had also previously opened up about her health struggles, discussing her experience living with lupus. She detailed hospitalisations, dialysis for kidney complications and periods of multi-organ failure, while noting, “A lot of people with chronic illnesses become masters at making pain look graceful because the world responds better to suffering.”
Taken together, the actor’s remarks regarding public criticism and self-confidence pointed to an artist increasingly unwilling to soften her image or opinions for the sake of public comfort, choosing instead, as she put it, to not live as someone she was not.
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