Mehwish Hayat has called out the Pakistani entertainment industry’s obsession with youth and age-related bias, especially against women, urging for serious reflection and change.
In a candid interview with Fuchsia Magazine, Mehwish highlighted the double standards that allow male actors to age gracefully and still land lead roles, while female actors are pressured to remain “forever young.”
“Here, men are allowed to age gracefully, to appear as heroes and main leads with younger girls. That’s okay. But with our female actors, we’re expected to freeze in time,” she said.
Mehwish criticized how the industry often judges actresses based on their age, not talent.
“Why are we so fixated on the age of an actor instead of their craft, their work, their character?” she asked. “Everything else is sidelined.”
She emphasized that in Western industries, actresses in their 30s, 40s, and 50s often get strong roles, portraying leaders, mothers, mentors, and role models something Pakistani content creators need to adopt.
The actor pointed out the hypocrisy in how men over 40 are respected, while women face judgment.
“Female actors above 30 are taken seriously because that’s when they’ve grown and matured as an artist and as an actor,” she noted.
Her statement comes amidst backlash over the 20+ year age gap between Humayun Saeed and Sajal Aly in ARY Digital’s upcoming drama Main Manto Nahi Hoon. Fans called it “vile” and symbolic of the industry’s obsession with youth but only for women.
Mehwish believes the solution lies in stronger writing:
“Writers need to write those scripts. Producers need to produce those stories. We, as actors, need to do more women-led roles where we have women of all ages.”
As for marriage-related questions, Mehwish said the pressure comes from societal expectations, not personal priorities.
“For me, marriage was never the main goal. It’s important, yes maybe the most important decision of one’s life but I’ll only marry when I’m completely sure about the person,” she concluded.
