Actor Anayah Shahid has praised her Zanjeerain co-star Sajal Ali for guiding and supporting her during her acting debut. In a recent interview, Anayah said Sajal’s presence in the project was one of the main reasons she agreed to take on the role.
She shared that Sajal treated her like an elder sister, often checking in on her and explaining how things worked on set. Since Anayah was new to the industry, she said Sajal made sure she always had someone to turn to whenever she felt unsure.
Anayah also spoke about her wish to begin her acting career with a negative role, saying such characters give an actor more room to perform compared to simple, positive ones. She revealed that she had pushed hard to be considered for her role in Zanjeerain, even though the makers initially hesitated due to scheduling issues with another project. After convincing them, she got a call two days later confirming she had landed the part.
Her character, Shireen, sparked strong reactions from viewers, with many sending harsh messages blaming her personally for the character’s actions. Anayah said she eventually posted on Instagram asking fans to separate her real identity from her on-screen role, reminding them that she was simply following a script.
Despite the backlash, she said she enjoys it when people recognise her by her real name rather than just her character, calling it a meaningful moment for her as an actor.
Anayah added that her family was hesitant about her joining showbiz at first but has slowly come around. She has not appeared in any project since Zanjeerain, though she hinted that new work is on the way.
