Singer and philanthropist Shehzad Roy has come out in support of actress Mehwish Hayat, whose Tamgha-e-Imtiaz (Medal of Excellence) award stirred a controversy online recently.
“People waste no opportunity to tear down the arts and women in Pakistan. So of course, if a woman wins an award in the arts, all hell would break loose,” Shehzad Roy Tweeted.
“You, @MehwishHayat won the debate that followed and created an enabling environment for women from arts to come forward and when they do, trolls will think twice,” he hit back at her haters.
Hayat, who has starred in several Pakistani blockbusters including ‘Punjab Nahi Jaungi’, was awarded the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz on Pakistan Day, but her haters called out the actress as non-deserving of the civilian honour both leading up to and after the ceremony.
Hailing Roy’s Tweet, Hayat called it a “watershed moment” for the industry.
“It is so refreshing to see that sane voices still prevail. I think that this is a watershed moment. The industry needs to come together and fight this abuse that we’re all subjected to. Let’s make something good come from it,” she responded.
Hayat also received backing from singer and songwriter Ali Zafar, who said “this reprehensible culture of name calling on Twitter has got to stop”.
Hayat earlier penned a note to her haters on social media.
“Debate all you like whether you think I deserve the award. Everyone is entitled to their opinions. I respect that. However, I draw the line when my character is questioned. I’ve been called a tawaif, a slut, a whore and much more so often that it has stopped affecting me,” she wrote on Instagram.
“I never wanted to make this a gender thing but it’s unfortunate that others seem to be. To suggest that I slept my way to this award is an abhorrent slur on all the hard-working women in our country. We may be part of an industry that is seen to be glamorous. But it doesn’t mean that we have forsaken our morals. What gives anybody the right to drag my name into the gutter? You don’t know me! Thank you to all the supporters and also to all the haters, it has only made me stronger. Last couple weeks have been quite an eye-opener for me,” Hayat said.
Earlier, television host and politician Aamir Liaquat has claimed to drag the ‘Load Wedding’ actors, Hayat and Fahad Mustafa along with the director of the film, Nabeel Qureshi and producer Fizza Ali to court for defaming him. The local TV personality threatened to file a case against the ‘Load Wedding’ team for misrepresenting him in the movie. More recently, Aamir Liaquat has also openly condemned Hayat on receiving the Taghma-e-Imtiaz. He stated that there are more deserving actors in the industry. In another Tweet, Liaquat said, “Imagine the pain experienced by much more skilled and talented artists when Hayat was announced as the actress with the most films and dramas to her credit.”
Hayat has been hurt by the reaction of many people over her medal. She has been trolled and ridiculed on social media for the same. Hayat, disappointed with all the reactions, stated that the way people of Pakistan celebrate an artist’s victory is shameful.
That is when Liaquat fired in with his response saying, “As an artist, you have failed to stop this mess and so, I should file a case against you.”
The anchor was angry over his misrepresentation in the film and that’s what lead him to threaten the actress with a law suit.
Tamgha-i-Imtiaz is a state-organised honour of the State of Pakistan. It’s the fourth-highest decoration given to any civilian in Pakistan based on their achievements. While it’s a civilian award, it can also be bestowed upon military officers of the Pakistan Armed Forces and worn on one’s uniform. The award is not limited to the citizens of Pakistan and can be awarded to foreign citizens who have performed great service to Pakistan.