In a recent episode of the Ahmed Fozan Podcast, Bilal Qureshi made a request to female actors in the entertainment industry, urging them to dress modestly and align with cultural norms. He emphasized the significance of social responsibility for celebrities and underscored the impact their choices have on impressionable audiences.
“I can only humbly request the women in our entertainment industry – they’re all so beautiful, so talented, so charismatic – they don’t need to wear revealing clothes to any event,” he said. “Neither is this a part of our tradition. I won’t say religiously because a lot of people say that religiously, we also shouldn’t make dramas, so I won’t argue religiously. But culturally.”
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Highlighting the social responsibility that comes with celebrity status, Bilal stressed that celebrities serve as role models, especially for teenagers, and their actions should inspire positively. “And we, who people think of as celebrities, we have a social responsibility. People follow us…especially teenagers…whatever we do should be inspiring in a positive way,” he expressed.
Bilal also mentioned his preference for complete and modest attire over expensive dresses. Furthermore, he stated, “Why should my women wear such attire? It’s not in our culture. Then they say we don’t respect women…I think a good film is that which you can watch with your sister and daughters. A good drama is one which you can watch with your sister and daughters.”
While acknowledging his admiration for Bollywood, Bilal drew parallels, asserting that even in Indian cinema, vulgarity is disliked. Expressing discomfort with explicit content on social media platforms, Bilal emphasized his disapproval of nudity and called for a more restrained approach. He acknowledged the potential criticism for his stance but reiterated the importance of knowing boundaries.
Bilal extended his message to all women, advocating for beauty within boundaries and emphasizing limits in every aspect of life. “I would like to tell all women that there is beauty in remaining within one’s boundaries,” he declared. “Everything has a limit. Nothing is unlimited. There are so many fantastic, talented actresses. Some are my friends, some are my colleagues. I love them, I respect them. The one I pointed out was to highlight an example…It’s just that by birth, some things are associated with you.”
He continued, “You are born Muslim by birth, you are born Pakistani by birth. You have to own these things. You cannot take it off from your personality, your profession, your life. You have to stay with these things your whole life. It’s not like I can keep my Pakistani identity aside, keep Islam aside and now I move on. No. You have to run, fight, go with these things.”
