‘I’m not your property’: Alizeh Shah calls out harassment, late payments and showbiz bullying

 The actor reveals the emotional toll of working in the entertainment industry, from accusations of assault to "sabotage" at a fashion show.

Alizeh Shah, whose name has been making headlines frequently over the past few years, made a series of Instagram stories on Monday in what she called a last-ditch effort to reclaim her story. The actor in Ehd-e-Wafa made a public statement criticizing alleged senior harassment, media bullying, exploitative production companies, and false accusations made by her peers. “I’m going to expose every single person who did me wrong…I’m done with people trolling me, making fun of me, and making memes out of me.  In the series of confessional videos, she stated, "You guys have no idea how difficult an actor's life is already." humiliation in public and rampant ridicule Shah began her video confessions by reminiscing about an incident that occurred at a fashion show and quickly became popular. At the 2021 Bridal Couture Week, Shah and playback singer and veteran artist Shazia Manzoor appeared to stumble on the ramp, an incident that Manzoor claims was deliberately planned. "We needed to turn right. Shah said this while replaying the video of the incident on her stories for her followers to see. "This lady pulled me and dragged me on the floor." “And then look at what she’s trying to do, why are you picking me up, lady?  Keep me to myself!” She stated. Shah asserted, "She had her hands on my hip throughout this whole show, and she kept trying that somehow I would fall." Shah remarked, "The strangest thing is, this aunty would go on every other show and would make other celebrities trip just to mock me." She added that host Juggan Kazim and TikTok star Jannat Mirza had allegedly mocked her after the incident, despite her previous respect for the latter. She then played back scenes from Manzoor's meeting with Mirza, in which Mirza recreated Shah's fall for the camera. Another scene showed the singer appearing on Kazim's morning show, in which Kazim recreated the same fall and Manzoor played the hero. Following her dramatic slip while walking the ramp for designer Nisa Hussain at the BCW 2021, Shah had expressed sincere gratitude toward Manzoor.  She had stated at the time that the fall was caused by a straightforward complication: she "was going towards the left and Manzoor thought that we had to go to the right side and I slipped." She had lauded Manzoor's prompt assistance, describing her as "a fireball of energy" who "picked me back up with so much love." Reflecting on the broader experience, she said the evening was “a rollercoaster full of emotions and a fall,” yet, she drew strength from being surrounded by “powerful and strong women” like Manzoor, Hussain, and Amar Khan.  Life is full of ups and downs as well as some falls, but never give up hope. She continued, "We can and will make a positive difference together." On her Instagram, that post is no longer available.

"I don't want to work somewhere that doesn't respect me," A significant portion of Shah's confession focused on the toxic culture of the television and drama industries, where actors allegedly have to beg for their pay. After begging for our own money, we receive checks after three months. She added, "And when we are finally given the check, we are made to feel like it is a huge favor, which is why I quit working." Shah is the latest actor to complain about being paid late in the entertainment industry. The actor revealed that she was blacklisted for her decision to demand respect and payments. Pages received money to troll me. When I’d go into meetings, directors would tell me, ‘Apke tou humne baray kissay sunay hain [we’ve heard many things about you],’ — my hands are shaking, speaking about it right now.  They would ask, "Why would we cast you when your image is so bad?" Why would you call me in a meeting if you don't want to cast me and then inquire about my "image," regardless of whether you want to cast me? she asked, her voice shaking.  "Who are you to inquire about my appearance?” Shah asserted that the cost of her refusal to "play the game" as others expected her to has been incurred. “People say I have too many issues.  She clarified that she never smoked while shooting, saying, "I requested a separate room once in a whole year because I smoke cigarettes and didn't want to bother others." “I want respect and my payment on time — if you can’t do that, then there isn’t a bigger beggar than you in this industry.”

Her account of what happened and the allegations of assault Shah also addressed a widely circulated report from last year that said she threw a cigarette at a co-actor and attacked her physically while filming. According to Shah, the incident played out very differently.

 "She shoved me. I never fell. She then hit me with her hand. I was shocked. Shah asserted, "She started telling everyone that I threw a cigarette at her." "I told the cameraman to play the scene back because the camera was rolling while this happened; nothing like that was captured on camera," I stated. She admitted to later confronting the co-actor in her room and throwing a sandal at her in frustration.  “Yes, I threw my sandal at her.  That’s it.  I wouldn't even get close to you. She added, "How disgusting you are," and that she had been advised not to file an FIR because doing so would impede the progress of the drama. The following morning, I learn that I assaulted her and ripped either her or my clothing. None of that happened.”

 ‘I am not your property’

 Shah addressed consent and boundaries, a topic that is rarely discussed in Pakistani entertainment circles, after presenting her side of the story. I won't let anyone touch me unless it's part of the action. You must first ask me. I’m not your property,” she said.

 She also recalled a moment where a senior actor allegedly sprayed her with sweat while drying themselves with a hair dryer.  “I'm sorry that you expected me to take your sweat like it was aab-e-zamzam raining on my face, but I'm not like that. I'm not like that. Ew.”

 According to Shah, what made her an easy target was her insistence on setting personal boundaries, which included calling out unprofessional and unhygienic behavior. "Some producers just want me out of the game," says the author. The actor also urged peers and audiences to rethink how they treat public figures, particularly women who are navigating workplaces that are deeply patriarchal. “An artist, whether they’re a junior, deserves respect.  She stated, "Just because you're senior and have power doesn't mean you become a gatekeeper and make them work for nothing." “I have a life that is already really tough.  My mom is sick.  So just let me be and live,” she said at the end.