Acclaimed Pakistani actor Adeel Hashmi revealed a very personal story of being a kid victim of sexual abuse in an open and moving appearance on Masarrat Misbah’s show. The actor, who is well-known for his range of roles, opened out about the upsetting times he was singled out by some older classmates.
“The fake smile I’m wearing right now is a result of having survived a lot of life’s storms,” Adeel said. The actor said that even while a lot of his experiences have strengthened him, other things still hurt him deeply.
He disclosed that the horrible events happened while he was a seventh-grader during a vulnerable moment on the show. Given that he was younger and physically weaker than those who tormented him, the actor emphasized the emotional toll it took on him.
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The 1980s are upon us. My grade is either 7 or 8,” Adeel said. Since I attended a public school, many of the children in my class had been struggling academically for a few years. Since they have been in the same class for years and I have just recently been promoted from grade 6, they are therefore much older than me.
“I am also not tall or big,” he said, recounting the upsetting memories of being physically abused and harassed by these older youngsters. I am extremely timid, almost like a cross between a cat and a mouse in terms of temperament. These ten or so pupils would harass me.
Adeel revealed one terrifying experience from those years, stating, “I can tell you about one occurrence from that period; I might not tell you everything about it, and I might cry a little bit in the middle. In the seventh grade, I experienced sexual assault.When this wasn’t a [widely accepted] idea, they would sexually abuse me. This is a school for boys alone. Nothing could be done by my brother, parents, teacher, or older.
He was not sure how to handle the matter at the time, so he looked to his older brother for help. Regretfully, his brother told him to handle things on his own, not realizing the seriousness of the abuse and harassment. Adeel felt alone and unsupported as a result of this.
“I would stutter, and I knew these kids would bully me more if I told my teachers,” he recounted. I just once told my brother that I was being teased by these dormitory kids and asked whether I should notify our father. “No, you can handle that on your own,” he said.
The famous person decided not to tell his parents about the happenings, even if they were challenging circumstances. He worried about his father’s reaction and how hard it would be to explain such traumatic events to his mother. Adeel has never before publicly revealed these parts of his background with the public before the disclosure on the show.
He broke his long-held silence on the subject during the interview by revealing that his mother would find out about the horrible bullying experiences through the show’s airing. The actor underscored the enduring consequences of child sexual assault on a person’s life and the significance of creating a safe space for survivors to come forward.
