Feroze Khan slams Yasir Nawaz for bashing Alizeh Shah

TikTok star turned actor Alizeh Shah has received support from fellow actor Feroze Khan after actor and director Yasir Nawaz said she was difficult to work with.

In a recent interview, Yasir Nawaz and his wife spoke about Nawaz's difficulty working with Shah. The couple appeared on Time Out with Ahsan Khan a few days ago and spoke about Nawaz's experience.

Speaking on behalf of Nawaz, Nida revealed that her husband faced some difficulties while working with Shah. He felt the chemistry between the two was difficult to build, though as a director, she said he never really had a problem working with anyone before. The two shared the screen in ARY's Mera Dil Mera Dushman last year.

"I was disturbed during acting," Nawaz said. When asked, he said there were a number of reasons for this, and he just didn't enjoy it. He went as far to say that at one stage, he regretted working on the project. "I went to that limit," he said.

Nawaz went on to discuss the problems he faced a little more deeply, saying, "When an actor is playing a character, they must keep their private life separate from the role. I was even asked by the creators to increase the number episodes since it was performing well, but I turned it down, saying that a reduction in the number of episodes was acceptable but not an increase."

At the end, he said it reached a stage where he said, "Take money from me and let me go."

This conversation quickly turned into the subject of internet chatter.

As the conversation grew heated, Khuda Aur Mohabbat star Khan stepped in to support Shah. He shared the screen with the 20-year-old and said he'd gladly do it again.

"I've worked with Alizeh Shah. It was great working with her, she is a very young girl with no media handling schooling from the family or friends of the industry," he wrote. He added that it takes time for one to "stand on their own" and "learn their way" in such an environment.

It is a common sentiment in the Pakistani entertainment industry that nepotism prevails, and for someone from the outside to come in and shine takes a lot of courage and effort. But these newbies aren't often guided on how to deal with the limelight, the press and Pakistani fans.

Speaking about when he was a newbie, Khan said he too was subjected to bullying by "many in the industry," even though he had family in the industry.

"I still wonder how she goes through," he admitted.

He slammed Nawaz for making such careless remarks, saying, "Such well grown artists naming and shaming such a new kid who could be dealing with any emotional low — not cool."

In a final remark, he spoke directly to Shah, saying he's "always down to work with you again."

The Pakistani showbiz has a tendency to gate-keep and pick favourites, and that is often reflected in how insiders and outsiders are treated differently by productions houses, talent managers and directors. It also reflects in the treatment of these people and we often see that new faces from a non-entertainment families are subjected to far more ruthless and unsolicited criticism. We're glad Khan spoke up in Shah's defence and hope more celebrities will be kind with their words for newbies.