Actor-model Humaira Aghar Ali’s death in Karachi ‘slap on face of Pakistani drama industry’      

The tragic death of popular actress and model Humaira Aghar Ali in Karachi has exposed the dark underbelly of the flourishing Pakistani drama industry, particularly when it comes to payment.

Humaira’s decomposed body was found in her apartment in Karachi’s upmarket Defence Housing Society on July 8. The initial post-mortem findings said she had died eight to 10 months ago.

The 32-year-old actress was laid to rest on Friday in Lahore, her hometown, even as police said prima facie no foul play was involved in her death but the government has formed a joint investigation committee to find out the circumstances which led to her tragic death.

If anything, her death has exposed how the Pakistani drama industry operates with many actors coming forward to talk about how actors and even light boys and technicians have to beg for their dues from production houses and still don’t get paid for months on end.

Senior actor Firdous Jamal has termed Humaira’s death a slap on the face of the Pakistani drama industry. “Imagine her dead body lying in her apartment for six months and no one even bothered to enquire about her, including her neighbours.”

Another actor, Faizan Khawaja, shared on his social media that he had quit the industry because of payment issues. “You work hard and then you don’t get payments which are a year old from production houses.”

Muhammad Ahmed, another senior stage and television actor, said on social media that despite working long shifts, actors have to wait for months to get their money from production houses.

“From what I have heard, Humaira was in dire financial condition because of which she couldn’t pay her rent. It is sad because she was a hardworking popular actor.”

Ahmed said except for one or two production houses, the others made you beg for your own money.

Acclaimed director and writer, Mahreen Jabbar, has also talked about the non-professional attitude prevailing in production houses. “You become a faqir doing rounds of these production houses and asking for your money.”