Pakistani actress Rabia Kulsoom has said she will no longer take up roles that do not contribute to her artistic identity or professional recognition, stressing that she has worked too hard to settle for projects that fail to acknowledge her talent.
Speaking as a guest on a private TV channel’s entertainment show, Rabia shared that despite coming from an artistic family, her journey into acting was not easy as her mother was initially against her joining showbiz.
Rabia said she struggled for years to reach her current position, and now wants her work to reflect her craft and be impactful. “I have worked very hard to be where I am today. At this stage of my career, I cannot accept roles that do not add to my identity,” she said.
The actress expressed disappointment that on several occasions, her work went unrecognised even when her contribution was well known. “There have been many instances where I was not given due credit despite my identity being known. Even after strong performances, I did not receive the appreciation I deserved,” she lamented.
Criticising the industry culture, Rabia said artists are often denied their rightful acknowledgment. “In our industry, when it comes to giving credit, everyone looks away. Artists are not given their due. I have played many roles that deserved recognition, but no one talked about them,” she added.
Rabia, who is also active on social media along with her husband and singer Rehan Nazim as a content creator, said the problem is not limited to television. “This doesn’t happen only in showbiz — it’s the same on social media too,” she said.
Recently, the couple also expressed disappointment after the PISA Awards announced nominations without including them in the digital category, despite their widely appreciated creative content. They had voiced their concerns about the exclusion on social media.
