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Two weeks ago, we published an article on public reaction to Main Manto Nahi Hoon’s depiction of a student-teacher relationship and how it was not received well by audiences. People had concerns about the impact such a show could have on the perception of higher education in society, especially for young women. Today’s article is on netizens reacting to Humayun Saeed’s reaction to an X post reacting to Atiqa Odho’s criticism of the programme — yeah, we know, it’s a lot.

The story starts last week with Odho, the actor and drama critic, calling out Main Manto Nahi Hoon on her show Kya Drama Hai. She said she had learnt that educational institutions in Lahore were now actively refusing to rent out spaces on campus for drama shoots after Khalilur Rehman Qamar’s latest project showed a university as the setting for a budding student-teacher romance.

A user on X shared a clip of Odho saying Rehman’s show had done so much damage that educational institutions stopped “trusting the entire industry”. Saeed, the show’s male lead and producer, commented, “Hahahahaha”.

Naturally, people were taken aback by one of Pakistan’s most senior actors laughing off a serious concern about the social responsibility of filmmakers. Some users just couldn’t believe what they were seeing.

Those who could believe what just happened were either angry or disappointed, or possibly both.

Netizens said it was time for the actor to check his privilege, saying he had been largely shielded from criticism for acting in one of Qamar’s projects, something other actors have faced severe backlash over.

Some users just wanted to ask Saeed where his sharam or shame was when treating this issue like a joke — and when agreeing to work on the drama.

Others found the whole thing too familiar, calling the actor out for being a “typical desi uncle” and asking him to “log out” of his account.

People often look up to public figures such as actors, which results in them being held up to a certain ethical standard. While that can go too far at times, it seems entirely reasonable for fans to demand answers when something a star — especially one with as big of a platform as Saeed — does a show that threatens to malign universities and potentially jeopardise the education of young girls, and instead of acknowledging it, laughs on X.

It is high time Pakistani actors move away from projects that cause more societal harm than good. The entertainment industry has often been a vehicle for positive change, starting important conversations and bringing important issues to light. In an era of dramas such as Case No. 9 and Jama Taqseem, it’s time for the industry to be more responsible.