Nadia Jamil reveals harassment experience in showbiz

WEB DESK: Actress Nadia Jamil revealed she faced harassment within the country’s showbiz industry, detailing her experience on Iffat Omar’s popular talk show, ‘Say It All With Iffat Omar’.

During the interview, Nadia disclosed that a prominent director had harassed her, opting not to reveal his identity at this time due to concerns about her young sons’ readiness to handle the fallout.

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Nadia said her cautious approach to avoiding potentially unsafe situations, mentioning she declined an offer from actor Nauman Ijaz to collaborate on a project after learning that the same director, who had harassed her, would be involved.

In discussing her experience, Nadia Jamil talked about timing in disclosing the director’s identity. She expressed her belief that there may have been other women who faced similar harassment and are waiting for the right moment to speak out.

Nadia acknowledged the difficulty in navigating such situations, particularly in an industry where speaking out about harassment can lead to legal threats and other forms of backlash.

The actress also addressed the impact of her experience on her personal and professional life, noting she had distanced herself from people who could potentially cause harm. Despite the challenges she faced, Nadia remained resolute in her commitment to eventually revealing the director’s name.

Nadia Jamil’s revelations about pervasive harassment in the entertainment sector sparked discussions online about accountability and safety within Pakistani showbiz.

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In April 2018, Meesha Shafi accused Ali Zafar of sexual harassment on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). This led to a legal dispute with Zafar denied the allegations. He filed a Rs1 billion defamation suit against Shafi, claiming she had severely damaged his reputation and livelihood.

The court then issued a stay preventing Shafi from making further claims against Zafar. Despite her efforts to settle the matter privately and appeal the decision, the Lahore High Court dismissed her case in October 2019.

Zafar claims to support #MeToo movement, but arguing that it was misused against him and accused Shafi’s lawyer, Nighat Dad, of orchestrating a conspiracy. He also lodged complaints with the Federal Investigation Agency, alleging a smear campaign through fake social media accounts.