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Old actor talks about not getting paid, working long hours, and how the movie business doesn’t respect older actors anymore.
BY Mahnoor | 22-05-2026
Actress Ismat Zaidi went on a TV show with Nadia Khan and Zohaib Hassan. She talked about being treated badly and working really long hours on a set.
In the interview, Zaidi discussed industry problems such as treating main actors and new faces better than others, and not caring for older supporting actors. She mentioned a specific event that made her cry.
“In other countries, older people are respected. Here, even when I was upset, I didn’t get any respect,” Zaidi said.
She said, “As an actor, I haven’t slept in two days. I’m not focused, I have diabetes, and other problems that make it hard to keep up with scenes and schedules. I feel completely exhausted. Then, the director yells at me in front of 50 people. It’s humiliating.”
The actor said, “I cried that day.”
The actress also talked about her long career, saying, “I’ve worked hard for 30 years and I’m getting older and forgetful. I wish people would respect my time more.”
She also mentioned that new, male actors get more attention. “I don’t understand it. Male leads get all the best scenes, which shouldn’t happen.” She said things were better when she started, and even minor actors were valued.
The actress also complained about bad scripts and not respecting the country’s language. She said, “The dialogue is terrible now. They’re saying anything and destroying the Urdu language.
” She also said, “Nobody cares about anything but money. I’ve even worked with actors who are producers, and they only care about the money.”
Zaidi also talked about difficult filming schedules, mentioning that main actors usually choose their own times, while supporting actors have to adapt. “New actors are valued more now. If someone else sets the dates and times, they don’t ask me. I feel like, ‘Am I not important to this project?’
” She shared examples, saying, “The dates they get from you—if they take 25 days, 20 of them are often changed or removed.”
She said, “If they call us at 10:30 in the morning and I work until 10:30 at night, that’s a 12-hour day. Most places, people only work eight hours.
” The actor finished by saying, “We all have lives and things to do. They act like signing a contract means they own you. They can push you around and use you up.”
She also said that even though she sometimes didn’t get paid for as long as four months, she had gotten used to it.
Zaidi’s words show the long hours and tough situations that older actors in entertainment often face. Her interview points out the need for better treatment, fairer work times, and more respect for older artists in the entertainment business.
