Saba Hameed is known for being one of Pakistan’s busiest and most versatile TV actors. But her latest casting has left people confused. In ARY Digital’s drama Bas Tera Saath Ho, she plays the wife of Faran Tahir’s character. In another ARY show, Dar-e-Nijaat, she plays Tahir’s mother. Both dramas are airing on the same channel at the same time.
Content creator K Khan first pointed this out in an Instagram reel, asking the Dar-e-Nijaat team how they decided Hameed could believably play Tahir’s mom while she’s also his on-screen wife elsewhere.
Actor Zhalay Sarhadi agreed the casting was odd. She said only women seem to “age” in Pakistani dramas, while men are written as forever young. She joked that soon she might end up playing Humayun Saeed’s mother.
Atiqa Odho, who reviews dramas on her show Kya Drama Hai, also found it strange. She said Hameed’s look as a grandmother felt forced, since she doesn’t come across as one.
Not everyone agreed, though. TV host Juggun Kazim praised Hameed’s acting range, saying she has a rare talent for making viewers forget the actor and believe the character.
The debate has reignited talk about ageism in Pakistani showbiz. Male actors in their 40s often still play college-age heroes, paired with much younger actresses. Meanwhile, women the same age are frequently cast as mothers or grandmothers, a pattern many, including Odho, say needs to change.
