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Actor and host Shaista Lodhi recently shared how people took videos of her while praying in Riaz Ul Jannah in Masjid-e-Nabwi in Madina during a guest appearance on AAN TV’s Bahar-e-Ramadan iftaar transmission. She and host Faysal Quraishi spoke about the infringement on celebrities’ privacy when they’re in public spaces.

Quraishi spoke about how his friends were awkwardly approached by strangers with bizarre questions when spotted in public, particularly during Umrah.

“In Riaz Ul Jannah, women have time because there are limited slots. And the person is in a different state then, unaware of oneself. I’m praying on the side and there are women taking videos, asking, ‘what are you doing here?’” she recalled.

“Didn’t you say you have put up a biryani stall here?” quipped Quraishi.

“I was praying namaz in hateem, and people were secretly taking videos. What will they do with my video? They thought that maybe I had used some source or something even in hateem. I was simply in a line, and when I left my hotel room, I had no idea I could pray in hateem.”

“This is why elders tell you to think before you speak,” said Quraishi. He theorised that sometimes, fans’ intentions were misconstrued. “In an attempt to start a conversation, they end up saying something bizarre.”

Earlier in the transmission, when asked why she does not host morning shows anymore, Lodhi said she felt bored with the routine and wanted to try something else. Lodhi previously hosted Good Morning Pakistan on ARY Digital and Utho Jago Pakistan on Geo TV. She also felt like other relationships in her life needed her, speaking about how demanding hosting a morning show can be.

“You end up having no social life. Your personal life, emotional life — you don’t know where and how things are going. You don’t get the time to talk to yourself.”