In Hollywood, Saba Hameed never experienced colorism

During a recent podcast interview, renowned Pakistani actor Saba Hameed and actor Iffat Omar discussed the touchy subject of colorism in the Pakistani entertainment sector. Saba spoke out about her insights and personal experiences with this common problem during the frank discussion.

In retrospect, the performer said that she had always thought she had a fair complexion and was not aware that prejudice might happen based on skin tone. “Iffat, I am very blessed because I spent my entire life thinking I was fair-skinned,” the Family Front star recalled. She did admit, though, that in spite of her personal advantages, she had seen instances of prejudice against other women in the field because of their darker skin tones.

When Iffat asked Saba if her skin tone had ever caused her any trouble in the entertainment industry, she said, “This (colourism) was not a problem back then, it became one later.” She revealed an instance from a few years back in which a gifted lady struggled to get opportunities due of her dark skin tone alone.

“I found out pretty late.One lady had dark complexion, and it prevented her from being cast. The Mere Humsafar actor recollected, “Very talented, very beautiful, tall, and size zero type situation.”

Iffat added her own experience as well, saying, “With me, this has happened a lot.” People often imagine me in very negative acting roles because of my skin tone. Saba added her two cents, stating that colorism was not really a factor in this. “Relative roles are more substantial. If not, all you need to say is “come and have food,” or “aao khaana kha lo.”

Performers of darker skin tones, such as Amna Ilyas and Gohar Rasheed, have long been critical of the entertainment business and its anti-dark-skinned stereotypes. Gohar joked that pricey skin-lightening injections are the only path to success in the acting industry when asked about his opinions on the current requirements for becoming an actor.

“Whether or not you are able to act, you may relax. In an interview in February, he laughed and said, “The production house knows you can do it, you don’t know it, but they know you can act because you are fair.” Gohar has criticized mainstream media for its propensity to promote “toxic masculinity,” connecting it to broader exclusionary behaviors. “Unfortunately, we live in a racist nation,” he said. Let’s acknowledge this. Everything should be fair and light, just like milk.