Asma Abbas spoke her heart with Samina Peerzada recently and the interview was moving, especially towards the end when Asma talks about her daughter, Zara Noor Abbas.

Samina Peerzada asks her what it was like to have her own daughter want to go into the entertainment world. 

Asma said that the journey was not easy since Zara’s father did not approve. Asma admitted, however, that from a young age she could see that Zara had a lot of talent. Laughingly, she said that Zara’s talent far exceeded her sisters’ and all their children. ‘Aisa lagta hai ke Allah ne sara kuch uss hi mein daal diya’ she said.

Asma also talks about how she felt helpless regarding Zara as she was growing up. 

She regrets not being able to stand up for her daughter. Asma recounts going to go see Zara perform in school and university plays but doing so chup ke. This relates strongly to Zara’s own TEDx talk about decisions and her journey to becoming an actress.

Both mother and daughter talk about how convincing the men in their family was a struggle, a struggle that ended up taking way too long.

Asma recounts the time when she was hospitalized and under treatment for her cancer.

Zara would come to tend to her; Asma said that at that time it felt like Zara looked like a ‘murjhayi wi phool’, and it was in that moment that she felt horrible for not having done more for her daughter.

It’s funny how two people see the same time period so differently. While Asma sees it as a time she felt scared for her daughter and her future, Zara sees her mother and her strength as a positive experience. In her TEDx talk, Zara points to her mom’s battle with cancer as teaching her the strength and himmat to face difficult situations.

Fast forward to the current day, Asma talks about Zara’s career proudly. She loves how her daughter carries herself, and how she’s living her life the best way she knows how.

In the rest of the interview, Asma talks about her early career, marriage and her battle with cancer.

It’s clear that Asma Abbas is a woman who does not take no for an answer. She’s also someone who is built with nerves of steel and can fight just about any situation with a smile on her face, and of course, some red lipstick.

More power to you Asma Abbas!

Watch the entire interview here:

Zara Noor Abbas’s Moving TED Talk Will Make You Change The Way You Look At Your Decisions

People Think Bilal Abbas Khan Is The Psycho Murderer In “Cheekh” But Is There Enough Proof?

Cover Photo Courtesy: Speak Your Heart with Samina Peerzada and HUM TV