With verbal violence greeting poster launch of show on late social media star Qandeel Baloch, Saba Qamar says she's throwing caution to the wind by playing the part
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; June 16, 2017)

From playing the antagonist in Pakistani series Maat, to her Bollywood debut as a mother in 'Hindi Medium', Pakistani actress Saba Qamar has been uninhibited in her choice of roles. She instantly came on board when asked to play Pak social media sensation, Qandeel Baloch, who was murdered last year allegedly in an honour killing by her brother.

Titled 'Baaghi', the television series is scheduled to release in Pakistan this August. Talking exclusively to mid-day, Qamar says, "I can do regular roles at any point in my career, but it's good to do something my fans will remember me for." The 33-year-old openly backs Baloch, criticism against whom, she says, was misguided. "The perception was that Qandeel Baloch made inappropriate videos, but no one knows why she did it... She did it to earn money and support her family. She wasn't educated, but dreamt of becoming famous. She didn't have any other option to fulfill her dream apart from taking to social media. She tried to do regular jobs, but wherever she went, she was exploited."

Despite flooding her social media pages with controversial videos, comments and images that proved unnerving for the conservative section of the Pakistani community, Qandeel Baloch was still followed by many. Qamar asserts that the people of Pakistan, who criticised her for her widespread reach, were the ones who gave her that platform. "If anyone, it's the people who need to be blamed for making Qandeel a social media sensation. If no one had followed her, she would not have made what she did. It's they who are responsible for her death."

The first look of the biopic has earned Saba Qamar severe criticism, and reactions that she terms "very strong". "When we released the poster, the abuses poured in. If they are expecting anentertaining show, they will be disappointed. We are going to showcase the difficulties she faced, not glorify her. Either this show manages to change the way our community thinks, or I die doing it."

In an exclusive chat with mid-day, Pak actress Saba Qamar says she was unusually comfortable shooting in India despite political rhetoric to oust cross-border talent
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; May 31, 2017)

She grew to fame in India as the antagonist in the 2011 Pakistani series Maat, but it took six years for an Indian filmmaker to cast Pakistani actress Saba Qamar. Enjoying the appreciation she received for the recently released 'Hindi Medium', Qamar tells mid-day the response to her work has been unexpected.

"I am glad that my work was liked. Many fans have watched the film more than once. People from India are sending me congratulatory messages on social media, showering me with love. The film has raised people's expectations, and I hope I can live up to them in future," says Qamar in a telephonic interview.

The team of 'Hindi Medium', which paired Saba Qamar with Irrfan Khan, had evaded the backlash that resulted from cross-border tensions following the 2016 Uri attacks. Qamar was shooting in Delhi last September, when certain political groups demanded that Pak artistes leave the country within 48 hours. "I wasn't scared," she recalls. "Around the same time, my visa was also about to expire. I had applied for an extension of 15 days to complete the shoot. To my surprise, everyone was nice to me. I had to go to the police station for verification and the officers took selfies," says the 33-year-old, adding that India's secular nature was evident during her stay.

"Back home, people are conservative about religion, but India is secular. For a particular scene, we had to go to a temple, church and gurudwara, and people here were comfortable with me around."

Qamar says she prays that Indo-Pak relations improve so that she can return to India for another outing. "If I'd done a film in Hollywood, people of my country wouldn't have been as excited as they are about my Bollywood project."