Actress Mehar Bano has openly spoken about the shadows of harassment that often lurk behind the glitter and glamour of the entertainment industry.

Mehar Bano appeared on the comedy talk show Hansna Mana Hai, where she spoke candidly about her career and various hidden aspects of the entertainment industry.

Bano, who now lives outside Pakistan, revealed that artists are often pressured with “big demands” and “unreasonable conditions” in exchange for work, adding that harassment is something both men and women in the industry frequently face.

"Both boys and girls in the Pakistani showbiz industry face harassment frequently, whether in front of the camera or behind it. Such incidents are very common,” she stated. 

She added, “Sometimes artists even receive offers like ‘Do this and you will get work.’ Powerful people in the industry put pressure on actors for work. Showbiz is a world full of beautiful faces and attractive personalities, which is why its dark side is so prominent and people often fall victim to it.”

Responding to a question, she said that she does not enjoy playing the roles of innocent girls in dramas. Instead, she prefers characters who are confident and make their own decisions. “I don’t like to play innocent girl roles. I prefer characters where girls are confident and take their own decisions because such roles match my own personality more,” she said.

In a surprising revelation, Mehar Bano shared that many well-known actors in the industry have poor personal hygiene, making it difficult to work with them. She recalled working on a project with actor Affan Waheed, saying, “We were working on a project where one co-actor’s body odor was really strong, but I didn’t say anything to him.”

She explained, “I usually don’t say anything about such things and handle it all professionally.”