Reem Sameer Shaikh, who was last seen on Laughter Chefs, has won many hearts over the years with her acting skills. She recently appeared on a podcast with Shardul Pandit. The actress opened up about her journey in the television industry, social media fan following, and much more. Here is a detailed look at her revelations.
On Facing Mistreatment on Sets
Reem shared how she has faced ill-treatment and discrimination on the sets of some TV shows. She said, “I have experienced it. I have been working for the last 15 years, but as a lead or as an adult, I started working eight years ago. And you know how sets work, somewhere the male-dominated industry comes in between. Then whether you are bringing TRP by crying in scenes, or you are working 16-17 hours, that still happens.”
Being Discriminated Against by Male Actors
Reem shared what she faced on one of her last TV shows and how much it affected her. She said, “I am not kidding, I was burning with fever or exhaustion, or I was suffering in my makeup room. But my shot was not taken for two to three hours. They could have taken my shot, done a small scene, and sent me home, just because they had other actors on their priority list to send them home.”
Reem Calls Out Fellow Actors
The actress said, “I would even call out to the actors who knew that she was not well. Because many times it happens, if someone comes and tells me that a person is sick, I would say, okay, take my shot after half an hour, finish hers and let her go. Because I understand that when you are senior in the industry, you are given priority by default. But as a human, if you find out that someone is not well, I would say, no, take hers first, then it is okay, I will wait for half an hour. I mean, this has happened with me on TV sets.”
What She Has Learnt from Her Senior Actors
“I have worked with everyone in my childhood. Be it Kajol or many other senior actors. And I am not kidding, those people genuinely used to come to the set five minutes early. I mean, this thing called ‘fashionably late’ had nothing to do with them. When I was doing Raabta, the show that actually changed my life, there were many senior actors, they also used to come before time. So I have learned a lot from these people,” she added.
On Finding Love
Reem said, “I have all the right reasons not to believe in love because I have seen a divorce in my own house. I have seen people around me go through so many breakups and relationships not working out. So yes, I have every reason not to believe in love. But I don’t know, something in me just doesn’t let me stop believing in it. I feel that if there is love, then everything is there, and if it is not, then there is nothing. Even to connect with God, you need love. If there is no love, then you won’t be able to build a relationship with God or with the people around you.”
Reem Reveals Why She Won’t Prefer Dating or Marrying Outside Her Faith
The actress shared how she won’t prefer an interfaith relationship. While talking about the reason behind it, she said, “I offer namaz five times a day. During Ramadan, I have recently started fasting too. Whenever something goes wrong in my life, the first person I turn to is God. I sit down on my janamaz and start praying. So, for me, it would be difficult. I don’t think I would be able to do it because my faith is a very important part of my life.”
