Television actor Ali Abbas has opened up about his strained relationship with his father, veteran actor Wasim Abbas, following his father’s second marriage to fellow actor Saba Hameed.

In a recent podcast, Abbas spoke at length about the emotional upheaval he experienced as a child after his father's remarriage.

“I was just eleven or twelve when my father got married again, and at that point, our relationship was deeply affected,” he said.

Ali Abbas, known for his performances in popular dramas such as Ghisi Piti Mohabbat, Be Lagam, Khali Hath, and Fitrat, is the son of Wasim Abbas and the grandson of the legendary folk singer Inayat Hussain Bhatti. Despite belonging to a celebrated showbiz family, the actor revealed that his childhood was marked by significant emotional distress.

Speaking about the period following the marriage, Abbas said, “Being the eldest among my siblings, I had to shoulder responsibilities. My mother was going through depression, and my sisters needed support. I had no option but to show strength.” He added that at the time, he felt abandoned, believing that his father would no longer be available for his first family.

The actor admitted that the distance between him and his father widened during this period, leading to arguments and further estrangement. However, over time, he began to see things from a different perspective. “Eventually, I realised that perhaps the person suffering the most was my father himself,” he said.

The turning point, according to Abbas, came when he decided to reach out to his father and simply listen. “Someone once said to me that when a person going through depression is heard without judgment, half of their pain subsides. That’s exactly what I did.”

He further stated that reconnecting with his father allowed both of them to share their respective grievances and heal.

Reflecting on generational differences, Abbas also spoke about the evolving role of fathers. “Our fathers were alpha males. They believed men don’t cry, men don’t feel pain. But today’s father-child relationships are more emotionally open,” he said.

Wasim Abbas, who later married Saba Hameed—herself a well-known actress and mother of singer Meesha Shafi and rapper Faris Shafi—has maintained a long-standing presence in Pakistan’s entertainment industry. While Ali Abbas has often been subjected to allegations of nepotism, he has consistently distanced himself from such criticism and built a career based on his own merit.