Sarah Umair says she slapped a director for harassing her

Actress Sarah Umair has shared a disturbing experience, dating back to the early days of her career, when a director repeatedly touched her inappropriately during a drama shoot, prompting her to slap him in front of everyone and walk off the set.

Sarah opened up about the harrowing incident during her appearance on Nida Yasir’s morning show, where fellow actresses Areej Chaudhry and Maimona Quddus were also present. Each of them shared personal accounts of harassment they faced in the industry.

“Many years ago, when I went to shoot in a small town in Sindh, the director repeatedly touched me inappropriately. I was shocked and furious,” Sarah recalled.

She contrasted the incident with the respectful behaviour of veteran director Kazim Pasha, highlighting the difference in how he treated actors on set. “I’ve worked with directors like Kazim Pasha, whom I consider my teacher. He never said or did anything inappropriate. If he ever touched an actress, it was always in a fatherly or affectionate way. But the attitude of younger directors is very different,” she added.

Narrating the encounter in detail, Sarah shared, “While we were having dinner, the director touched me from under the table. I was shocked, so I got up and sat on the other side. But the table was very small, and he touched me again. That’s when I knew it wasn’t a mistake.”

Though she initially remained silent, the director again crossed boundaries on set the following day. “He kept touching the actors under the pretext of giving directions. Then he touched me again, this time, inappropriately.”

Sarah said, “When he touched my back, I lost it. I slapped him in front of everyone and told him, ‘I can’t work with a vile person like you anymore.’”

Although Sarah openly discussed the incident, she chose not to name the director or specify the drama being filmed at the time.