"Employers ask her to change her get-up but she refuses to."
Nimra Khan’s upcoming drama Umm-e-Ayesha will highlight Pakistan’s hijab problem.
The actress explained that the show focuses on the struggles of a woman who wears a hijab.
This includes issues such as “losing out on jobs because of her attire” and even struggling to find a groom.
Nimra said: “Umm-e-Ayesha is about a girl who grew up in a mediocre [middle-class] family and was repeatedly told by her mother to cover her head [with a dupatta].
“However, as she reads more about Islam she chooses to do the hijab because she believes it is better than covering oneself with a dupatta.”
She added that her character Ayesha promises herself to never go before men who are not blood relatives without her hijab.
Due to her family’s struggles because they cannot afford a car, Ayesha buys a scooter and tries to get a job so she can acquire her PhD.
Nimra revealed: “Even though people like her CV, she gets rejected from jobs because of her attire.
“Employers ask her to change her get-up but she refuses to.”
She emphasised that Umm-e-Ayesha is “all about faith, which never wavers through life’s trials and tribulations”.
On why the makers did not cast a hijabi actress, Nimra Khan wondered if there were any hijabi actresses in the Pakistani drama industry at all.
She said: “If a girl does the hijab, why would she act in TV dramas?
“For the drama about Qandeel Baloch, we didn’t get her to star in it.
“We take inspiration and convey it in our own way because we’re actors and we need to execute it in a better way.”
Detailing the filming experience, Nimra said it exceeded expectations due to the supportive cast and “positive vibes”.
Despite the role being challenging because she “had to wear a hijab and drive a scooty”, it sent a “good message” overall.
She also highlighted the challenge of depicting religious history, explaining that it had to be discussed “exactly and without errors”.
Nimra admitted there could be mistakes as the makers are “only human”.
She hopes she is convincing and that audiences enjoy the show.
Directed by Saleem Ghanchi and produced by Abdullah Kadwani and Asad Qureshi, Umm-e-Ayesha will also star Omer Shahzad, Mehmood Akhtar, Nida Mumtaz, Tara Mahmood, Rehma Zaman and Asim Mehmood.
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