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Alizeh Shah, a name that has been a regular fixture in headlines for the past few years, shared a series of Instagram stories on Monday in what she described as a final attempt to reclaim her narrative. The Ehd-e-Wafa actor publicly called out alleged harassment by seniors, media bullying, exploitative production houses, and false accusations by her peers.

“I’m going to expose every single person who did me wrong…I’m done with people trolling me, making fun of me, and making memes out of me. You guys have no idea how difficult an actor’s life already is,” she said in the series of confessional clips.

Ramp ridicule and public humiliation

Shah began her video confessions by revisiting an incident from a fashion show that initially went viral. At the 2021 Bridal Couture Week, Shah appeared to stumble on the ramp with playback singer and veteran artist Shazia Manzoor by her side — an incident she claims was deliberately orchestrated. “We had to go right. This lady pulled me and dragged me on the floor,” Shah said, while replaying the video of the moment on her stories for her followers to see.

“And then look at what she’s trying to do, why are you picking me up, lady? Leave me alone!” she said. “Throughout this whole show, she had her hands on my hip, and she kept trying that somehow I would fall,” Shah alleged.

“The weirdest thing is, this aunty would go on every other show and would make other celebrities trip just to mock me,” Shah said. She added that TikTok star Jannat Mirza and host Juggan Kazim had also allegedly mocked her following the incident, despite her past respect for the latter.

She then replayed clips of Manzoor meeting Mirza, with Mirza recreating Shah’s fall for the camera, and another moment of the singer going on Kazim’s morning show and Kazim recreating the same fall and Manzoor playing the role of the hero.

Following her dramatic slip while walking the ramp for designer Nisa Hussain at the BCW 2021, Shah had expressed sincere gratitude toward Manzoor. At the time, she had said the fall was a simple mix‑up — she “was going towards the left and Manzoor thought that we had to go to the right side and I slipped.”

She had praised Manzoor’s swift support, calling her “a fireball of energy” who “picked me back up with so much love.” Reflecting on the broader experience, she said the evening was “a rollercoaster full of emotions and a fall,” yet, she drew strength from being surrounded by “powerful and strong women” like Manzoor, Hussain, and Amar Khan. “Life is full of ups and downs, and some falls too, but never think that it’s over. Together we can and we will make a positive difference,” she added.

That post is no longer available on her Instagram.

‘I don’t want to work where I’m not respected’

A major chunk of Shah’s confessional was directed at the television and drama industry’s toxic culture, where actors are allegedly forced to beg for their dues. “We get cheques after three months — that too, after begging people for our own money. And when we’re finally handed the cheque, we’re made to feel like it’s a huge favour, this is why I stopped working,” she said.

Shah is the latest in a series of actors who have recently spoken up about delayed payments in showbiz.

The actor revealed that her decision to demand payments and respect led to her being blacklisted. “Pages were paid to troll me. When I’d go into meetings, directors would tell me, ‘Apke tou humne baray kissay sunay hain [we’ve heard many things about you],’ — my hands are shaking, speaking about it right now. They would say, ‘Your image is so bad, why would we cast you?’ Whether you want to cast me or not, why would you call me in a meeting if you don’t want to cast me, and then ask me about my ‘image’?” she asked, her voice shaking. “Who are you to ask me about my image?”

Her refusal to “play the game” the way others expected her to has come at a cost, Shah claimed. “People say I have too many issues. One time in a whole year, I requested a separate room because I smoke cigarettes and didn’t want to bother others,” she said, clarifying that she never smoked while shooting. “I want respect and my payment on time — if you can’t do that, then there isn’t a bigger beggar than you in this industry.”

Allegations of assault — and her version of events

Shah also addressed a widely circulated report from last year that accused her of physically assaulting a co-actor and throwing a cigarette at her during a shoot. According to Shah, the incident played out very differently.

“She pushed me. I didn’t fall. And then she slapped me. I was in shock. She started telling everyone that I threw a cigarette at her,” Shah claimed. “I told the cameraman to play the scene back because the camera was rolling while this happened — nothing like that was caught on camera.”

She admitted to later confronting the co-actor in her room and throwing a sandal at her in frustration. “Yes, I threw my sandal at her. That’s it. I wouldn’t even touch you. How disgusting you are,” she said, adding that she was told not to file an FIR because it would hurt the drama’s progress. “And the next morning, I see news that I assaulted her and ripped her or my clothes in the process. None of that happened.”

‘I am not your property’

After detailing her side of the story, Shah touched on consent and boundaries — a topic rarely addressed in Pakistani entertainment circles. “I don’t allow anyone to touch me if it’s not a part of the scene. You have to ask me first. I’m not your property,” she said.

She also recalled a moment where a senior actor allegedly sprayed her with sweat while drying themselves with a hair dryer. “I’m sorry you expected me to take your sweat like aab-e-zamzam raining on my face, but I’m not like that. Ew.”

Shah said it was this insistence on setting personal boundaries — including calling out unhygienic and unprofessional behaviour — that made her an easy target. “Some producers just want me out of the game.”

The actor also urged audiences and peers to reconsider how they treat public figures, especially women navigating deeply patriarchal workspaces. “An artist, whether they’re a junior, deserves respect. Just because you’re a senior and have the power, doesn’t mean you become a gatekeeper and put them out of work,” she said.

“I have a life that is already really tough. My mom is sick. So just let me be and let me live,” she concluded.