Why are only women labelled? Aymen Saleem defends Sahar Hashmi
Pakistani actress Aymen Saleem has weighed in on the online controversy surrounding fellow actress Sahar Hashmi, criticizing what she described as the entertainment industry's persistent gender bias and double standards toward female performers.
Taking to her Instagram Stories, Aymen reshared a viral post referring to Sahar Hashmi as the "Emraan Hashmi of Pakistan" and accompanied it with a pointed message questioning why women are often judged differently from their male counterparts.
"Just noticing a pattern... why do women so often end up with the label, while men doing the same thing simply remain 'actors'?" she wrote.
Her remarks came in response to the growing social media debate surrounding Sahar Hashmi's recent performances in the television dramas ‘Shaidai’ and ‘Zanjeerain’.
The discussion intensified after the latest episode of Shaidai featured an emotionally charged scene in which Sahar Hashmi and co-star Feroze Khan shared a prolonged embrace. Similar moments had also appeared in previous episodes of the drama.
Meanwhile, Sahar's role in Zanjeerain has included several emotional scenes alongside Daniyal Zafar, with the characters sharing hugs during pivotal moments of the storyline. While many viewers viewed the scenes as a natural part of the narrative, others criticized the actress, leading some social media users to compare her to Bollywood actor Emraan Hashmi, who became widely associated with romantic and intimate roles during the early years of his career.
The comparisons quickly sparked mixed reactions online. While some users supported the label, others argued that Sahar was being unfairly singled out for performing scripted scenes, pointing out that her male co-stars faced little to no criticism for appearing in the same sequences.
By speaking out, Aymen Saleem echoed those concerns, highlighting what she believes is a recurring pattern in which female actors are judged more harshly than men for portraying similar roles on screen.