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Osman Khalid Butt opened up about his love life, growing up being bullied, and his experiences within the industry in a conversation with Ali Safina on the podcast Peek Freans Heartbeats. He also spoke about his future plans and return to the screen.

When asked why isn’t he getting married, the Chupke Chupke actor said he’s not actively searching for a partner. “I don’t want to get married because society is asking me to get married,” he said, jokingly referring to himself as a “non-conformist.”

Safina quipped and said, “OB, aapki shaadi kab hogi [when will you get married] — that is the most googled question,” to which Butt replied, “Yes, and I’m actually quite sick of the question now, especially when people ask that on social media so much.”

Butt went on to say that he hasn’t given up on marriage, but hasn’t been actively putting himself out there because he’s been busy with writing these days. “You know, writing is a very insular process,” he added. “You are at your home, waiting for the night, and then you start writing.”

In an interview with Voice of America Urdu last year, Butt had shared that while he is open to finding a partner, his family values are such that he wouldn’t marry simply due to societal pressure related to age.

Safina asked what kind of a person Butt would want his life partner to be, to which Butt said because he’s such a huge over-thinker, he’d want someone who isn’t like that. He listed a good sense of humor and being family-oriented as additional qualities he’d want in a partner.

Butt also shared his experiences of being bullied because his father, believing him to be a genius, had him skip two grades in school, which resulted in a disconnect between Butt and his classmates. “The bullying made me very insular, very shy, very reserved,” he said. Eventually, he found theatre, which was where he found his people and what saved him.

The conversation moved on to racism and sexism in the media industry. Safina asked Butt which of the two he thinks is more prevalent, likely referring to discrimination based on ethnicity. “Financially, there’s reverse sexism because male actors don’t get as much money as female actors do,” Butt said. Concerning racism, Butt said he hasn’t encountered it personally, however, he mentioned that the industry has a colourism problem. “The industry loves beauty, and unfortunately, the standards of beauty are very anglo-centric,” he said.

Safina then touched on the hotly-debated topic of industry connections and to what extent they influence success in the field. The nepotism debate is one that spans continents, with every entertainment industry contending with a rise in star kids and public discontent towards them.

“I came into this industry without any connections,” Butt said. Safina sarcastically brought up Butt’s father, Khalid Said Butt, also a known actor, director and screenwriter in the industry. Butt clarified, saying, “My father had clearly told me, ‘don’t look for help from me.’ Clear cut. We didn’t talk for two years when I started theatre. He hated the fact that I became an actor.”

While discussing dating apps and catfishing, Butt revealed that AI-altered images of him as a woman — specifically one of him holding a placard at the Aurat March — have been used on Bumble. Speaking of his interest in activism, Butt said, “I think this is something that has always been ingrained in me. Growing up, seeing a lot of injustices around me, and not feeling like you have a voice that matters. And then, finally, you get a platform, an opportunity, that, yes, maybe you have the potential to change even one person’s opinion. So I always thought, why not utilise that?”

His opinions have landed him in trouble at times too. He said his sister sat him down and asked whether he was an actor or a social worker. “Because you know it can be detrimental as well; sometimes people don’t want to work with ‘controversial’ people.”

“Controversial or opinionated?” Safina asked. “For some people, that’s one and the same thing,” Butt replied.

On an ending note, Safina asked, “When are we going to see you on television again?”

“On TV, probably with my own project now,” Butt told. “Unless there’s some really good project. I’m at a stage in my career where I’ve just decided to stop entertaining mediocrity. Unless something is really challenging me, I just don’t want to do it.”