Sanam Saeed became a role model for women across the globe
for playing Kasaf in Pakistani drama ‘Zindagi Gulzar Hai’, a show that broke
all records in India when it was aired in 2014. However, the actor says that
Sultana Siddiqui’s direction has limited her as an actor.

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“Kasaf’s character stuck with me for many years. It’s been
nine years and for at least three or four years, that stIgma of her character
did not leave me,” she told Opoyi when asked why she doesn’t want to be
remembered for the role she played in ‘Zindagi Gulzar Hai’.

“It was hard for directors or  casting directors to cast me in any role that
was opposite to Kasaf. There was no sex appeal to my character. They didn’t
seem to think that I could play a sassy character.”

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“I always had to play that simple Plain Jane. Which is
great, it’s very empowering. I could have never asked for anything else. But it
has been limiting also,” she added.

Also starring the good-looking Fawad Afzal Khan, Zindagi
Gulzar Hai is the story of a self-made girl named Kasaf who faces hardship in
her life, while Zaroon is a carefree guy from a rich family. The drama is based
on Umera Ahmed’s novel of the same name, which talks about the equality of
child rights.

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Talking more about that, Sanam says, “I think my aim is to
let people know, particularly the people in my industry,  that I can play any role that you give me and
that’s my job.”

“I want you to believe that I can be that girl from any
background, any class, any system and I want to break those class differences.
I want you to hate me and I want you to love me, that’s the beauty of being an
actor,” she added.

Sanam is back with another show and this time it’s a desi
noir anthology titled ‘Qatil Haseenaon Ke Naam’. Directed by critically
acclaimed British Indian director Meenu Gaur, the series features  big names from the Pakistani entertainment
industry, including Ahsan Khan, Osman Khalid Butt, Sheheryar Munawar, Saleem
Mairaj, Samiya Mumtaz, Sarwat Gilani, Mehar Bano, Faiza Gillani, Beo Raana
Zafar, and Eman Suleman.

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The upcoming series is a compilation of six stories of seven
women who wrestle back control and redefine the word femme fatale. It  will stream from December 10 on Zee5Global.