Pakistani veteran actress Meera is currently in the midst of a busy promotional campaign for her highly anticipated film Psycho, set for a worldwide release on May 27, 2026, during Eid-ul-Azha. The psychological thriller stars Shaan Shahid, who serves as both lead actor and director, alongside Meera in the title role, with a strong ensemble cast that includes Javed Sheikh, Sonya Hussyn, Nayyar Ejaz, Shabbir Jan, and Adnan Butt. As part of her promotional rounds, Meera appeared on two separate podcasts, one hosted by Rehan Tariq and one by journalist Irshad Bhatti, and both became talking points for entirely different reasons.
On Rehan Tariq’s podcast, Meera spoke warmly about the film and her co-star. She called Shaan Shahid the “Shahrukh Khan of Pakistan,” saying he is an even bigger actor than SRK, a great director, and a brilliant writer. The interview was professional, promotional, and well-received.
Irshad Bhatti’s podcast, however, was a completely different story. Meera appeared on the podcast to promote Psycho, but the conversation took a turn that had little to do with cinema and everything to do with her personal life. Bhatti asked Meera a series of questions surrounding her personal relationships and rumoured scandals, including her relationship with fellow star Humayun Saeed, controversies involving Captain Naveed and Atiqur Rehman, and even questioned the funds behind a hospital she said she was building in honour of her mother.
Despite her repeated attempts to steer the conversation back to her film, the host continued to raise sensitive topics. The situation escalated when he sarcastically referred to her as “psycho” and revisited past controversies. Eventually, Meera chose to remain silent and walked out of the interview.
Rather than responding with anger or emotion, Meera handled each uncomfortable question with composure and dignity, and the internet noticed. She stated, “No matter how disrespectfully a question is asked to you, you have to always answer it with respect, because history will not record that question — they will record your answer.” This perfectly captured the mood of how people felt watching Meera navigate the interview.
The support from fellow celebrities came in quickly and strongly. Superstar Mahira Khan took to Instagram to post a message directly to Meera, writing: “Meera Jee, you’re a legend! I’m sure you’ll be spectacular in this film. All the best. Lots of love.” It was a simple but powerful show of solidarity.
Actress Zhalay Sarhadi also reacted sharply, calling out the host’s behaviour as ignorant and unacceptable. Actor Bilal Qureshi posted a longer message urging celebrities not to appear on such shows, warning: “They make STARS, we break STARS. Please do not go on such low-quality podcasts — where these psychos turn you into a psycho just to get views.”
Actress Hirra Khan also spoke up, saying she was disheartened by the host’s repeated disrespect, especially toward Meera Ji, who she said handled it all with nothing but grace and remarkable patience.
The incident has also sparked a broader discussion about media responsibility and the treatment of celebrities in public interviews, with many questioning whether such shows prioritize ratings over basic human decency.
Meera herself, speaking about Psycho at a press event, shared that she believes there is a “psycho” inside every person and encouraged audiences to approach the film with an open perspective. After two uncomfortable podcast experiences, she has proven one thing beyond any doubt: her patience, grace, and professionalism are very real.
