Veteran Pakistani actress Saba Faisal has sparked an online debate after reflecting on the dramatic shift in society’s attitude toward marriage and divorce, contrasting the stigma once attached to separation with what she described as a much more casual approach today.
A video making the rounds on social media features Saba Faisal discussing how families allegedly reacted to divorce in previous generations, recalling a time when the breakdown of a marriage was considered a deeply distressing family matter.
When a divorce happened in families, mourning was observed for two or three months, there was mourning,” Saba said, describing how divorce was once treated as a source of immense grief and embarrassment.
She recalled that families would question what had gone wrong and why the marriage had ended, while fathers were often portrayed as being too ashamed to even hold their heads up after their daughter’s divorce.
“This shouldn't have happened. A father wouldn't be able to lift his head out of shame,” she remarked.
Saba then contrasted that traditional response with what she believes is a noticeably different attitude among some people today.
According to the actress, conversations surrounding divorce can now appear much more casual, with people continuing their everyday lives shortly after a separation.
She gave an example of a divorced woman casually responding to questions about her marital status, saying, “Meri to divorce ho gayi hai, teen mahine ho gaye hain.”
Saba further described a hypothetical situation in which the woman had travelled abroad following the divorce and returned feeling emotionally settled and ready to move forward.
“I went abroad right after that I came back after clearing my mind over there,” she recalled.
The actress suggested that the transformation in attitudes toward divorce reflects a wider social shift, though she expressed concern about what she sees as the loss of the seriousness once associated with marriage.
“Ab to ye halaat hain. Ye cheezein to kharabi ki taraf hain,” Saba said.
Her remarks have since triggered discussion online, with viewers debating whether changing attitudes toward divorce represent greater social acceptance and emotional independence or a decline in the importance traditionally attached to marriage.
While divorce has historically carried considerable stigma in Pakistani society, attitudes toward separation can vary significantly across families, generations and communities.