Veteran actress Shehnaz Sheikh, once a leading star of classic television serials like Ankahi and Tanhaiyaan, sat down for an exclusive interview with BBC News Urdu, offering candid insights into her illustrious career and the evolving landscape of the entertainment industry.

Reflecting on her early days in the industry, Shehnaz reminisced about the modest earnings she garnered from her breakthrough roles. The actress, now 61, recalled her stint in the 1982 hit drama Ankahi and revealed, "I remember when I did Ankahi, I would make PKR 800 per episode. Meals and clothes would be all our own, even transport." However, with the success of Tanhaiyaan three years later, her earnings saw a modest increase, reaching PKR 1000 per episode, a sum considered top-tier for A-grade actors at the time.

She went on to highlight the evolution of production standards, particularly in the realms of hair, make-up, and overall production values. Shehnaz reflected. “There are both, good and bad developments underway. Back then, our producers would decide the actors, the writer, what play it is, all the people who would be involved. Now, all these decisions are made by multinational companies that sponsor content,” Shehnaz attributed partial blame to the ones calling the shots in showbiz.