Daily Times

Faiza Saleem is one of those people who fight battles everyday against things that might apparently seem normal but their normalisation turned into a culture is a threat to the society.

It is against those abominable aspects of the culture that this lady is fighting under the veil of humour. She hides her concern for the badness prevalent in the society in the cloak of her comedy but her attack at it is a proof that she is actually worried and wants a change. Daily Times caught up with the lawyer-turned comedian to ask her a few questions about not only her comic projects, but her projects related to showbiz as well, for such is her versatility. The questions are as follows with their answers.

What caused you to switch from a serious profession like law to comedy?

My passion for comedy became the cause. Many people think that law has nothing to do with comedy but the skills I acquired as a lawyer have really helped me with my career as a comedienne. Being a comedian isn’t all fun and games; it involves being a decent orator, thinking outside of the box, managing teams, emotional intelligence-so comedy is a serious business too.

Is ‘Two Minutes with Faiza Saleem’ pure entertainment for you or do you find a chance to keenly observe people in this minimal time span?

Everything is a chance for me to keenly observe people. All the guests I’ve called to the show are people I vibe with. But I do notice small things about each one; like how they interact with the crew for example.

How do you manage to keep your mental health intact in this society which isn’t conducive for bold women?

I struggle with anxiety every single day. To be honest, all this people management really takes a toll on me sometimes but I’ve made two decisions recently. A) I’ll meditate and B) I won’t hold on to people or situations that aren’t good for me.

Do women also face discrimination and harassment in the field of law? How has your experience been?

Of course. I always say that working women face difficulties in almost every field. Some might not, but many do. I used to go to police stations and the city court and God knows I met all sorts of people in the legal system; some good, some not so good. It’s inappropriate to generalise that there’s harassment everywhere but discrimination is pretty much prevalent in most scenarios.

‘I always say that working women face difficulties in almost every field. Some might not, but many do. I used to go to police stations and the city court and God knows I met all sorts of people in the legal system; some good, some not so good. It’s inappropriate to generalise that there’s harassment everywhere but discrimination is pretty much prevalent in most scenarios’

Are we expecting you in any upcoming acting project?

Let’s see. You’ll find that out soon!

What are you currently working on?

‘Two Minutes with Faiza Saleem’ is the centre of all my attention these days. I want to make the show bigger and better with each episode, each season. I’m also working on doing more corporate shows with the “Khawatoons” and bringing back “Improv Jam”. Also, we have two “Auratnaak” shows coming up by the end of September.

Are you hopeful that your country and its stereotypes will change for the better or is it a series of never-ending disappointments?

I’m always hopeful. Of course, there are disappointments too. For one, I think we lack professionalism and it’s tough to work with people. I find that everyone is just looking to make a quick buck; be everywhere at the same time and not fulfilling their previous commitments. Everyone wants everything without putting their heart and soul into any one specific thing.

What keeps you going?

When someone tells me that I made their day. Or when my mom calls me to tell that she’s proud of me.

What change, negative or positive, has marriage brought into your life? What have you learned from it and what message would you give to people based on your experience of marriage?

I have learnt that life requires a lot of balance and that the first few years of marriage build the foundation of your relationship. I’m constantly juggling spending time with my husband, getting my house in order, managing teams, shooting and rehearsals, and it has helped me understand how important it is that everyone does their part of the job for things to go smoothly for all involved.

The writer is a freelance journalist and can be reached at m.ali_aquarius85@yahoo.com