Beo Raana Zafar, a Pakistani actor, shared a lighthearted story about her grandmother's impossible-to-please nature during an appearance on a morning show alongside fellow actors Ayesha Toor and Amina Khan. The trio reminisced about their grandparents, discussed breaking traditional norms, and recounted how each entered the entertainment industry.
Grandmother's Constant Complaints
Zafar recalled her grandmother's trademark complaints: "You could not please her. The day rice would be made, she would say, 'Where is the roti?' The day roti is made, she would ask, 'Is there rice?' And the day there is neither rice nor roti, she would say, 'Give me toast,'" mimicking her grandmother's ever-changing demands. "You couldn't please her in any way," she added. Zafar noted that her mother, who was "very dignified and very educated," would simply laugh off the remarks instead of taking them seriously.
Mimicry as a Start
Amina Khan shared a similar story, revealing that her grandmother inadvertently inspired her acting career, despite being the least supportive of it. "I never thought I'd be on screen. I used to imitate my grandmother a lot, and that's where it started. When her knees would hurt, she would say a typical line, and I would imitate her. Although she was the most opposed to me going into the media, she wasn't very happy about it," Khan said. She joked that "good actors are like monkeys" because acting often begins with mimicry.
Breaking Traditional Rules
Ayesha Toor agreed that breaking traditional rules is sometimes the only way to forge a new path. Reflecting on a memorable moment from the early 2000s, she recalled getting a pixie cut for a music video. "Those were different times... There was a huge boom in the television industry and a great deal of creativity. We also had the freedom to experiment," she said. Explaining the symbolism, Toor noted that people often attach a woman's identity to her hair, so shaving it became a statement of personal freedom. "When a woman is free, people are so obsessed with her hair, so we decided to cut it off and shave it," she said, adding that attitudes have changed considerably over the years.
Diverse Paths into Showbiz
The discussion turned to how each actor entered the entertainment industry. Zafar revealed that her professional career began in London with Hear and Now, a magazine-format programme produced by Zia Mohyeddin. "It was about immigrants for the indigenous population," she said. The programme ran for eight years, allowing her to establish herself as both a writer and presenter. She recalled that her family's connection with Mohyeddin helped open the door: "My father was the director general of Radio Pakistan, as well as a poet and linguist, and Zia used to frequently visit Radio Pakistan and perform recitations with my father." She entertained guests with her impressions at a dinner in London, leading Mohyeddin to invite her to audition for a show in Birmingham. "I went, auditioned, and got the job," she said.
Khan's acting career began largely by chance. While doing modelling assignments, she was also preparing for the CSS examinations, which she successfully cleared. "I went for an interview where there were five elderly men from different provinces asking me questions. When they asked me about the Kashmir issue, I said it is basically a water problem, and they said, 'Don't you know about the Indus Waters Treaty?' I continued discussing how many times both sides had violated it. Then two of them laughed. I passed," she recalled.
Shared Threads
Although each actor's journey into showbiz was different, their stories shared a common thread. Whether shaped by colourful grandparents, unexpected opportunities, or a willingness to challenge convention, all three credited the people and experiences that helped define both their careers and their identities.
