Pakistani actress Amar Khan has openly criticized the gender discrimination against women in the showbiz industry, saying that in Pakistani dramas, elderly male actors are easily playing young roles, while women are soon restricted to specific roles.

Speaking on a private TV program, Amar Khan said that in our dramas, male actors aged 40 to 50 years are often seen playing the roles of the Gen Z, i.e. the young generation, but this unrealistic trend is rarely questioned.

According to the actress, the situation is completely different for women, where after playing the lead role for a few years, they are restricted to elderly or secondary roles.

Amar Khan, citing the example of the international industry, said that in Hollywood, actresses like Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway are seen in strong, influential and leading roles at every stage of life, while in the Pakistani industry, ignoring actresses as they age is becoming the norm.

He lamented that fewer strong and realistic roles are being written for women, which highlights the imbalance in the industry.

The debate gained momentum in recent days when senior actress Atiqa Odho advised Fahad Mustafa to share the screen with heroines of his own age. The topic gained more attention after Fahad Mustafa’s reaction to this statement, and now Amar Khan has also raised his voice on the same issue.