Mamya Shajaffar talks about claimed workplace harassment on Iffat Omar's podcast.

The actor also talks about her mental health, including dealing with lupus and figuring out who she is.

BY Mahnoor | 22-05-2026

Actress Mamya Shajaffar was on Iffat Omar's show, Say It All. She talked about her problems with who she is, her health issues, and claims of being mistreated at work in the entertainment business.

 Mamya shared her worst acting experience in Pakistan, claiming actor Arsalan Khan made her feel uneasy. She said she felt forced and not valued at work because of it.

"This guy, like many men here, saw my profile and just assumed I'd be okay with him being touchy or too friendly," she said.

 Mamya explained she doesn't like being touched, adding, "I'm not a touchy person. It takes me a while to become close to someone before I even hug them; usually, I just prefer a handshake."

She said, "I'm not embarrassed to say his name. I think it was Arsalan Khan, and he made me feel uneasy.

" She also criticized his work, saying, "He's a complete nobody. I wouldn't even call him an actor. He could hardly speak clearly. But he started telling me how to act, even though he wasn't doing his own job."

Mamya said things got so bad a director had to step in and tell them to work. She also said the actor kept trying to touch her, even though she felt uneasy.

She also mentioned another tense moment on set while discussing the writer Manto. She claimed the actor disagreed with her understanding, and the argument got worse. She said, "He got up and shook his belt like he wanted to remove it and hit me. Then, he started insulting me in front of everyone."

Mamya also said that he kept trying to hug her even though she said no. She said he asked her for a hug, but she kept asking him not to touch her. She had to say it many times and eventually yelled.

 She also said that he made inappropriate comments about how she looked, which made her feel even more uncomfortable while filming.

Mamya later explained on her Instagram that she wasn't talking about another actress with the same name that people were confusing online. 

Besides these claims, she also talked about how acting has affected her mentally. She mentioned her movie Lali, shown at the Berlin Film Festival, and said her character "Zeba" kept impacting her even after the movie was done.

"I realized I was still acting like Zeba. I had become her, and she was living in my mind. I was trapped in her sadness without knowing why I was reacting so strongly to some things," she said. 

She also talked about her mental health issues, including dealing with lupus, and problems with identity and feeling accepted while growing up.