Pakistani actor Saba Hameed recently shared her thoughts on colorism in the entertainment industry during an appearance on actor Iffat Omar’s podcast. Opening up about her personal experiences, Saba revealed that she had always believed she had a fair complexion, unaware of the discrimination that could occur based on skin tone. Despite her own privilege, she observed instances of discrimination against darker-skinned women in the industry.
When asked if her complexion ever posed a problem for her in showbiz, Saba explained that colorism wasn’t a significant issue in the past but has become more prevalent in recent years. She recounted an incident where a talented woman faced difficulties in securing roles solely because of her dark skin tone.
Iffat Omar also shared her experiences, noting that her skin color often led to negative acting roles. However, Saba suggested that the preference for negative roles had little to do with colorism, stating that such roles simply offered more depth.
This discussion reflects ongoing criticism within the entertainment industry regarding its biases against dark-skinned actors. Actors like Amna Ilyas and Gohar Rasheed have previously spoken out against these prejudices. Gohar Rasheed humorously remarked on the industry’s preference for fair skin, jokingly suggesting that skin-lightening injections might be the key to success. He also criticized mainstream television’s perpetuation of toxic masculinity and wider practices of exclusion, highlighting the prevalent colorism in the country.