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Zara Noor Abbas believes that women can do everything — and she’s right! The actor appeared on Faysal Quraishi’s podcast Pressure Buhat Hey where they spoke about how difficult life can be for working mothers, particularly those who are actors.

Quraishi said that he had seen actors such as Savera Nadeem put cameras in their children’s rooms and watch them from set. Abbas added that Hira Mani had done the same, before commending Nadeem on her acting skills.

“It’s amazing that Savera does that [watches her children] and then the cameras turn on and she is the character”.

Abbas also spoke about the disadvantage of too much information because of social media, stating that the olden days were better and easier because “everyone was doing everything and no one knew a lot”.

The Jhoom actor said that she did not post anything related to her daughter, Noor-e-Jahan, on Instagram because she did not want extra advice, information or negativity to interfere with her process of motherhood.

Addressing claims that she had quit the entertainment industry after becoming a mother, Abbas said after women become mothers, people believe they won’t be able to do their jobs, which is untrue because having a career in addition to a child is “a job and a half”.

“Now that Noor-e-Jahan is here, I will have to tune her into my life. She’s come into my life. I will have to make her understand my dynamics,” she said, clarifying that if her daughter needed her she would leave everything to be there for her.

The actor elaborated that she initially felt bad about people’s comments but had now reached a point where she would let people say and react however they wanted, as long as she was doing what she wanted and was happy.

She also spoke about brands ending contracts with her while she was pregnant, particularly a makeup brand that she did not name, because they alleged that she did not meet their target audience while she pregnant.

“Ponds stuck by me. They were super happy and renewed their contract, [however], the other brand had a problem with me being pregnant and that really affected me,” she said, adding that during her last pregnancy, she lost a lot of campaigns.

According to Abbas, actors in India continued to get work if they were pregnant, but in Pakistan, there were several “hindrances and questions” for commercials.

When asked if she had overcome the trauma of delivering a stillborn baby boy, which she opened up about two years ago, Abbas said he would always be her firstborn. She said her daughter now wore boy clothes that belonged to her firstborn and that she told Noor-e-Jahan that she was wearing her brother’s clothes.

“I wish I [would have] had children before if I knew this is how my mind and body would process [things] because it’s a natural state for women,” the actor said, adding that seeing her daughter released oxytocin in her body.