SANAM SAEED

That's the beauty of short films; their strength lies in delivering a message creatively and simply.

I have done and want to do roles that portray women in a strong light and inspire those women who think they are weak and helpless.

I like method actors who don't focus on the glamorous side, but on realistic acting.

And I think it's important to remain loyal to your home country, from where you started.

I don't like to wear a lot of make-up or blow-dry my hair.

I am an oxymoron, shy and confident at the same time.

During the inception of 'Zindagi Gulzar Hai,' we studied the characters and the script in depth so that we could imbibe the essence of it in our performance.

People like my voice, which is funny because all my life my family has joked about my nasal voice.

Nothing should be banned. Anything that is progressive and contributes something to society shouldn't come in the way of politics.

No, I am not looking at being a part of television in India, but I may consider movies, if I get to play a strong character.

The upper middle class here still has options for entertainment. We have Internet, Hollywood and books. But for the majority and the masses, there is only TV. A lot of them sit at home and watch TV as they can't afford other forms of entertainment. So, we try to do shows which have inspirational value.

There are times when I am supposed to get off work by seven but only reach home by midnight because of production delays.

Mental health, although being talked about more and more nowadays, is still extremely misunderstood and stigmatized, especially in Pakistan, where people think ignoring or hiding the issue will make it go away.

I'm the eldest of three siblings.

The memories I can gather now of my parents are quite contradicting. My mother was the disciplinarian and my dad was the rule breaker.

In fact, sometimes when a short film is done well, you wish that it could be slightly longer.

We need to have mental health support and early interventions integrated into our education system from a young age.

If you get too caught up with the superficial part of beauty, you get too self-conscious.

India uses Bollywood, rather cinema, to tell its stories. It is one of the largest filmmaking nations in the world and so your talents get to tell stories about politics, love and drama through films.

I stand by what I believe in, I'm not afraid to speak up for what I think is right.

Haseeb Hassan is a fantastic director. He really understands characters and their relationships. He always gives sound advice and direction.

I think I couldn't balance my marriage and my mother's deteriorating health. I realized it was unfair to my husband to have my divided attention. I understood he deserved better and should go for that. He deserved the attention of a partner, not another headache, and I didn't want to share my time with anyone else but my mother.

The more real and genuine we are about ourselves, the more others will know that there is no shame in struggling, or feeling low, or anxious or having bad days - we all have them.

I love being on stage, nothing compares to it.

I prefer social dramas.