In her most recent interview, Samina Peerzada talks with Affan Waheed and the pair talk about acting and slowly getting out of a character.

The actors exchange ways to fully get out of a character and to move on. 

Samina talks about how her character from ‘Balaa’ is still inside of her. She also talks about her methods of dissociating with roles. For example, she talks about how an actor should do things opposite to their characters in their personal life; if they a character smokes, then an actor should not smoke in real life. She also talks about her family knows to respect her ‘quiet time’, since it helps her break free from a role.

In this discussion, she compares the experience of desi actors with that of actors in the West. 

Samina and Affan talk about how, in Pakistan, actors are blessed with having their families nearby and having close ones as a security blanket. Samina then says in the West, since people are lonely and don’t have friends, they end up going to the ‘shrink’. According to her, due to the lifestyle there, people don’t have others to talk to, therefore ending up at the therapist.

Therapy is not just for ‘lonely’ people, or for people with no one to talk to. 

For a lot of people, who might be surrounded with close people, it is still difficult to talk about your deepest thoughts or insecurities. Mental health is a sensitive thing and no matter how ‘close’ you are to someone, if you do not feel like you can share your issues with them, then your only resort is to go to a therapist.

Other than this, a therapist is a professional and is unbiased, unlike the people in your life. Of course, your friends and family always have your best interests at heart but they’re also biased individuals, and won’t really be able to help you to get to the root of the issue. A therapist will be able to hear you out, they can spot your own biases and also help you recover.

All this being said, family and friends are important as they do provide emotional support. They always have your back and will always be a shoulder for you to cry on, however, when it comes to one’s mental health, seeking out professional help is always important. Your family and friends can only hear you out, but for you to get better, mentally, you always need help.

Mental health awareness is an issue in Pakistan because we have stigmatized it so much. People have a tough time accepting they need therapy and even when they do, people shoot down the idea because apparently, that’s only for ‘crazy people’ or ‘lonely people’. Therapy gives you a space that is free of judgment and biases to speak about your issues and to resolve them also. The journey to better mental health is one you have to take on your own, regardless of your social life, since it has to do with YOU and how YOU interact with the world and how YOU react to it. Only YOU can enact the changes necessary to feel better.

The Internet Can’t Stop Making Memes About Samina Peerzada, And I Am Obsessed

 Cover Photo Courtesy: Rewind with Samina Peerzada / YouTube