Women are not allowed to make mistakes: Pak actor Yasra Rizvi

I've experienced this personally in my line of work," she said. Citing the example of her upcoming feature "Senti Aur Mental", on which she serves in the triple role of director, writer and actor, Rizvi said the project ran into trouble half way during its shoot.

Pakistani actor Yasra Rizvi, who currently stars in ZEE5's critically-acclaimed show "Churails", says she has navigated her career battling inequality and sexism, which was both heartbreaking and discouraging. The actor is known for playing well-rounded characters in shows like "Mann Ke Moti" (2012), "Woh Dobara" and 2018 thriller-drama "Ustani Jee".

Rizvi plays one of the leads on the maiden Pakistani web series "Churails", which is streaming for Indian viewers on the newly re-launched Zindagi on ZEE5. In an interview with PTI from Karachi, the 37-year-old actor said her experience of working in the entertainment industry has been rewarding, but not without hiccups.

"No matter how educated women are, how smart they are, when the time comes for equal opportunity, people shy away. When you're at the receiving end of inequality, it's heartbreaking. "In a working environment, till today, you never demand as much guarantee from a man as you do from a woman. If I have to be in a control position, I'll have to give many guarantees of my capabilities. I've experienced this personally in my line of work," she said.

Citing the example of her upcoming feature "Senti Aur Mental", on which she serves in the triple role of director, writer and actor, Rizvi said the project ran into trouble half way during its shoot. After having spent her money on the film, the actor-filmmaker said she was so hurt by the obstacles that she shut herself off.

"This was pre-coronavirus times and there was a wave in Pakistan about filmmaking and I was also in that. I didn't realise until I hit the set what a grueling task it is to make a feature and what I had committed to by signing up for three roles at the same time in my first film. "I was so down. I thought maybe I won't get any more finance... that I should find some other job." Rizvi said when a man takes up multiple roles, there might be people with second thoughts, but with a woman in the same situation, like herself, judgements are many and relentless.

She said people threw comments like "she is claiming too much" and "not sure if she'd be able to pull it off" at her. "The way I tried to pave my way, it's difficult. I've realised it's easier for me to be in front of the camera. The first break I got on TV, to direct and act at the same time, was given by a man. But there's still a man who has to give that break. That's the thin line.

"Some men are nice who acknowledge that women need creative control to chronicle stories of women. But they are less. You're not allowed to make mistakes if you're a woman." The actor said just when she was feeling disillusioned after production on "Senti Aur Mental" halted, director Asim Abbasi called her up for "Churails". "Maybe it was a signal that it isn't really over till it's over," she added.

"Churails" narrates the story of four self-proclaimed 'churails' (witches), who unite to open a covert detective agency to expose cheating husbands among the city's elite. On the show, Rizvi plays Jugnu, a wedding planner with alcohol addiction, and said her biggest challenge was to identify with her character's privilege.

What worked in the actor's favour were a few similarities between Jugnu and her. She said when she was studying in the US and later in the UK nearly 18 years ago, she had the same "unabashed, unapologetic" attitude as Jugnu.

"I consider myself a 'mazdoor' (labourer) artiste so instilling a feeling of privilege was a challenge. But the emotional experiences of Jugnu were similar to mine. I used to be like her when I was studying abroad. "But when I came back for the love of my nation, I had to slowly let go a lot of things to live. So Jugnu reminded me how I was decades ago," she said.

Rizvi said the show ultimately is a deep dive into women's psyche and how they make their way in an oppressive society. "It's an investigation into the stories of different women who live in Pakistani society but one which will resonate with women across the globe. No character is completely flawless.

"They all are flawed. There's an alcoholic, a killer. It's an inquiry into what led them to be this way and how they break free," she added. "Churails" also features Sarwat Gilani, Nimra Bucha and Mehar Bano.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)