KARACHI: Actor and novelist Mira Sethi has revealed that she turned down a major role in the drama Main Manto Nahi Hoon because of the writer Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar’s “regressive and troubling” views about women. Speaking candidly in a recent conversation, Sethi said she was initially offered the role of Miss Maria, a character later played by Sanam Saeed. The project also stars Humayun Saeed and Sajal Ali, two of Pakistan’s leading television actors.
While she admitted she was “very tempted” to join such a high-profile cast, Sethi said she ultimately declined after reflecting on her values and public advocacy for women’s rights. “Because of the writer of the show, I just thought to myself, if I go on and do this role, despite speaking out so much about feminism — what’s the point?” she explained. “The writer says very strange and troubling things about women. And I was very tempted to do the drama.”
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Standing by Principles
Sethi, who has been outspoken about gender equality in Pakistan’s entertainment industry, said her decision was not easy — particularly given the visibility and prestige associated with the project. “It was difficult because the role was significant,” she acknowledged, “but principles mattered more than exposure.”
She shared that even some of her “very progressive friends” urged her to take the role quietly, suggesting that declining could limit her future opportunities. “Even some of my very progressive friends told me, ‘Just do it quietly.’ But I said no, I didn’t do it.” Sethi added that refusing such offers can have professional consequences in a tightly-knit industry, where rejecting powerful figures often means being sidelined. Despite that, she said she had no regrets and wanted to maintain coherence between her art and her beliefs. “People understand my voice,” Sethi said. “They know what I represent.”
A New Direction
The actor also shared that she is currently working on a new television project with acclaimed director Mehreen Jabbar, set for release in November 2025. Beyond acting, Mira Sethi has earned acclaim as an author for her book Are You Enjoying?, a short story collection exploring themes of identity, power, gender, and authenticity in contemporary Pakistan. Her decision to walk away from Main Manto Nahi Hoon underscores her growing reputation not just as an artist but as a thoughtful public intellectual — one unafraid to challenge the entrenched misogyny of the industry she inhabits.