Atiqa Odho, Marina Khan oppose Sania Saeed’s grandmother role
Aap Ki Izzat has only been on air for three episodes and has already become one of the most discussed dramas of the year. Written by Umera Ahmed, produced by Nina Kashif and Momina Duraid, and directed by Saifee Hassan, the Hum TV drama has amassed around 10 million views and earned remarkable TRP ratings in a very short time. Its cast, featuring Ahsan Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Urwa Hocane, Sania Saeed and Nauman Masood, has been widely praised. But not everyone is entirely comfortable with every casting choice, and two of Pakistan’s most respected actresses have said so plainly.
Atiqa Odho and Marina Khan, appearing as judges on Kya Drama Hai alongside Nadia Khan, praised the drama warmly before raising a specific concern about Sania Saeed being cast as a grandmother. Their objection was not about the quality of the performance, which both acknowledged as excellent, but about the casting itself, specifically the age dynamic it creates on screen.
Atiqa Odho was candid about why the role unsettled her. “I am a bit sceptical about Sania playing a grandmother because I find it difficult to accept if it’s given to me,” she said. “Sania and I started our careers together in Sitara Aur Mehrunnisa, so when I see her playing such an elderly character, I think, ‘Oh my God, why is she playing this old role? She has become a grandmother at such a young age.’” She was quick to separate her personal reaction from her professional assessment, adding: “Sania has played the role beautifully, though. But I feel like we girls are becoming old now.”
The remark was as much about time and self-reflection as it was about casting. Watching a contemporary from the earliest days of her career play a grandmother is not simply a professional observation. It is a mirror held up to one’s own passage through time, and Odho’s reaction captured that complicated feeling with characteristic honesty.
Marina Khan echoed the concern but framed it through the specific dynamic within the drama itself. “Nauman Masood and Sania are of the same age,” she said. “I couldn’t digest Sania in such an old-age character, especially when actors of her own age are playing younger roles. Nauman Masood, in particular, was shown as younger than her.” She too made sure to credit the performance even while questioning the decision. “There is no doubt that she is a tremendous actor and is playing the role perfectly, but they should have cast much younger actors opposite her.”
Aap Ki Izzat continues to air on Hum TV and remains among the most watched and most discussed dramas currently on Pakistani television.
