The reality behind entertainment industry isn’t as glamorous as it seems as actor Saheefa Jabbar Khattak has revealed why making a living in the industry is tougher than it looks.
Appearing as a guest on After Hours with Ushna Shah, the Rafta Rafta actress opened up about the financial realities of working in Pakistani dramas, her journey in acting and the valuable lessons she learnt along the way.
“Making a living through acting alone isn’t easy,” Saheefa said while opening up about the struggles of running a household.
“In our dramas, we don’t make enough money to keep our kitchens running. It can’t run unless I’m doing four projects in a year and also working on social media… making appearances and hustling a lot,” she added.
When asked what lessons she has learnt from her modeling and acting career, Saheefa said it had taught her how to be patient.
“Acting has taught me a lot of patience and gratitude. We are very privileged… very, very privileged. We come to the set in a car, we have AC… we get food. Our job is tough, I don’t contest that… but when I see the rest of the crew members who hold things for us while we do a scene, who make sure the sunlight doesn’t affect us… when I see them getting one meal a day while we are waiting for our coffee before the shoot, it makes me realise how privileged we are.”
The Log Kya Kahenge actress also reflected on the importance of choosing meaningful projects.
“I waited for a good project and didn’t regret it. I’ve learned that if I regret something, everything turns negative. Now, I am back… I don’t want to say that whatever I’m doing, I’m proud of it [but] I like it. It resonates with me and my soul. I don’t approve of it, but I know this is how it is right now. In my 8-10 years, I’ve learned that out of 10-15 projects, there’s always one that speaks to your heart and you do it for that one project. Even if it took 8-10 projects to get to that point,” Saheefa said.
