Television actress Alizeh Shah has voiced serious grievances against the Pakistani entertainment industry, alleging delayed payments, lack of respect, and targeted trolling funded by producers who, she claims, want her to exit the field altogether.
In a series of emotional Instagram Stories over the weekend, Shah said she has stepped away from acting not because of a lack of work, but due to repeated instances of professional mistreatment.
“I am tired now. I will expose everyone who wronged me,” said the Ehd-e-Wafa star. “People make fun of me, troll me, and pay pages to make memes on me. I’m fed up.”
Shah said she often had to wait for months to receive her payments and that producers behave as if providing her work is a favour. “When I ask for my rightful payment, I am humiliated. They give money to social media pages to damage my reputation,” she claimed.
The actress revealed that when she attends meetings, she is sometimes questioned about her image in the media. “Directors say, ‘We’ve heard things about you, why should we cast you?’ If that’s how you feel, then why call me for a meeting? Just to insult me?”
Referring to the wider industry culture, Shah noted that criticism of her wardrobe choices is hypocritical. “Half the girls in this industry wear sleeveless, off-shoulder, or tank tops in films. Why single me out?”
Speaking directly to producers, she said: “Don’t do me a favour by offering me work. I want only two things: respect and timely payment. If you cannot give these, then you are no less a beggar than those who ask for work.”
She also took aim at the working conditions on sets. “We spend entire days in the makeup room with hair extensions and no proper air conditioning. The bathrooms are unusable. I asked for a separate room only once in a year — because I smoke and didn’t want to bother others — but even that became an issue.”
Shah rejected claims that she behaves in a difficult manner. “Others also smoke with me on set. No one had any problem at the time. These are just excuses now to push me out.”
In her concluding remarks, she said she is not desperate for work and is financially secure, but her drive to work comes from a desire to provide her family with the life she didn’t have in her childhood.
“I have loving people around me. I don’t need this industry, but I chose to work so I can support my family. Still, nothing is more important to me than respect. Even a junior artist deserves dignity. Being a senior doesn’t give you the right to destroy someone’s livelihood.”
