Veteran Pakistani actress, director and producer Reema Khan has revealed that she once slapped a fellow actress during the filming of her movie Miss Istanbul, expressing regret over the incident years later.
Reema, widely regarded as one of Pakistan’s most popular film stars, began her career with the film Bulandi and rose to fame through a string of successful projects. Her notable films include Koi Tujh Sa Kahan, Zameen Aasman, Jo Darr Gaya Woh Mar Gaya, Chor Machaye Shor, Hathi Meray Saathi and Nikah. She was especially admired for her on-screen pairings with actors like Shaan Shahid, Saud and Babar Ali.
Now based in the United States after her marriage to Dr Tariq Shahab, Reema made the revelation during a recent podcast appearance. Reflecting on the incident, she described herself at the time as an introverted person focused primarily on her work.
“I was not someone who got into fights, but when you are between 18 and 25, you can get provoked easily,” she said. Reema recalled that during the shoot of Miss Istanbul, directed by Shamim Ara in Islamabad, a co-actress used abusive language toward her. “She misbehaved with me twice. I don’t know what came over me-I lost control and slapped her in front of everyone,” Reema said. Although she declined to name the actress-adding that the individual is still active in the industry-Reema expressed deep remorse over her actions. “I regret it to this day. I should have controlled myself. I pray for her and wish I had handled it differently,” she added, emphasising that sometimes it is better to leave matters to God. Reema also dismissed longstanding “number one versus number two” rivalries among actresses, saying such narratives were largely fueled by the media rather than the artists themselves. It is worth noting that Reema’s co-star in Miss Istanbul was Meera, with whom she had a well-known rivalry in the past.